Sue and I visited the Cartagena Military Museum in October and December 2018, and during both visits we took numerous photographs that will form the basis of several more blog entries.
The museum is situated about fifteen minutes stroll from the seafront, and is located in the old artillery barracks, which also houses the municipal archives. The museum is run by volunteers and depends upon voluntary contributions to keep going. A donation of 3 Euros is recommended.
The building that houses the museum is built around a rectangular courtyard, and the exhibits occupy three sides of the ground floor and two sides of the upper floor. The ground floor displays include a very large collection of artillery pieces ...
... and several armoured vehicles, including a T-26 tank.
In the middle of one side of the courtyard is an archway that leads to the car park used by those who work in the building. In the car park are an American M44 155mm Self Propelled Gun ...
... and a German 88mm Flak Gun.
The upper floors are reached by a stairway and lift in one corner of the building. The first room we entered was devoted to displaying over two thousand model military vehicles!
The next room contained a display of small arms.
The rest of the upper floor was made up of a number of galleries and rooms leading off a long, vaulted room.
The first of these galleries contained a display of flags and standards ...
... and this was followed by one devoted to the uniforms worn by the Spanish Army.
Sue and I then visited the office used by the former garrison commander ...
... which was dominated by a huge tiled fireplace.
During the Spanish Civil War, Cartagena remained in Republican hands until the last few days of the fighting, and it was during the evacuation of the town's garrison that the worst Spanish naval disaster took place.
The cargo ship Castillo Olite was carrying troops away from Cartagena when she was sunk on 7th March 1939.
A total of 1,476 people died, and their names are listed in a room dedicated to the memory of this disaster.
The next room contained a model of the area around Cartagena that showed the town's coastal defences.
This was followed by a room with a model of the harbour during the late nineteenth century ...
... and a further one with a very detailed model of the town during the eighteenth century.
At one end of the long, vaulted room was an example of a bronze breech-loading 8cm Mod.1886 cannon.
We ended our visit in an anteroom to the former garrison commander's office ...
... which contained an extremely rare clock ...
... which was the only object in the museum we were forbidden to photograph. (We didn't spot the notice until after we had taken a photograph!)
This museum is well worth visiting if one is visiting Cartagena, as is the Naval Museum. The latter is located close to the seafront, and it would take visitor several hours to visit each.
The museum is situated about fifteen minutes stroll from the seafront, and is located in the old artillery barracks, which also houses the municipal archives. The museum is run by volunteers and depends upon voluntary contributions to keep going. A donation of 3 Euros is recommended.
The building that houses the museum is built around a rectangular courtyard, and the exhibits occupy three sides of the ground floor and two sides of the upper floor. The ground floor displays include a very large collection of artillery pieces ...
... and several armoured vehicles, including a T-26 tank.
In the middle of one side of the courtyard is an archway that leads to the car park used by those who work in the building. In the car park are an American M44 155mm Self Propelled Gun ...
... and a German 88mm Flak Gun.
The upper floors are reached by a stairway and lift in one corner of the building. The first room we entered was devoted to displaying over two thousand model military vehicles!
The next room contained a display of small arms.
The rest of the upper floor was made up of a number of galleries and rooms leading off a long, vaulted room.
The first of these galleries contained a display of flags and standards ...
... and this was followed by one devoted to the uniforms worn by the Spanish Army.
Sue and I then visited the office used by the former garrison commander ...
... which was dominated by a huge tiled fireplace.
During the Spanish Civil War, Cartagena remained in Republican hands until the last few days of the fighting, and it was during the evacuation of the town's garrison that the worst Spanish naval disaster took place.
The cargo ship Castillo Olite was carrying troops away from Cartagena when she was sunk on 7th March 1939.
A total of 1,476 people died, and their names are listed in a room dedicated to the memory of this disaster.
The next room contained a model of the area around Cartagena that showed the town's coastal defences.
This was followed by a room with a model of the harbour during the late nineteenth century ...
... and a further one with a very detailed model of the town during the eighteenth century.
At one end of the long, vaulted room was an example of a bronze breech-loading 8cm Mod.1886 cannon.
We ended our visit in an anteroom to the former garrison commander's office ...
... which contained an extremely rare clock ...
... which was the only object in the museum we were forbidden to photograph. (We didn't spot the notice until after we had taken a photograph!)
This museum is well worth visiting if one is visiting Cartagena, as is the Naval Museum. The latter is located close to the seafront, and it would take visitor several hours to visit each.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteCertainly a very interesting Museum - we'll never be there unfortunately- so thank you for posting these photos and description- it all gives me a chance to see part of the world I'll never visit. The detailed model of the town and harbor in miniature is a great piece of craft- spectacular model making. Best Wishes. KEV.
Kev Robertson,
DeleteIn the words of Al Jolson (in THE JAZZ SINGER), 'you ain't see nothing yet!'. I have literally hundreds of photographs taken at the museum, and over the next few weeks I am going to share a selection of them with my regular blog readers. Just wait until you see the model vehicle collection!
All the best,
Bob
I was pleasantly surprised to note the M44 was known as the Cardinal in UK service.
ReplyDeleteNigel Drury,
DeleteI'd forgotten that the British Army has used the M44!
All the best,
Bob
And you said over 2000 military models ...
ReplyDeleteI am still smiling!
Geordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteWait until you see them! They will be featured in a number of future blog entries.
All the best,
Bob
That T26 with the national colours on the mantle is whacky, like yes lets hide the tank by painting camo then put a "Here I am sign"! Friendly fire was obviously an issue. Both sides using the T26 - either from a foreign donor or captured!
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteSome Nationalist T-26s had their entire turrets painted in bands of red and gold/yellow to avoid being mistaken for Republican vehicles.
All the best,
Bob