Above: Painting by Joaquim Sorolla
During my visit to Valencia, Spain in the spring of 2024, along with enjoying the Fallas celebration, I visited three wonderful art museums. All are within a short walk of each other in the historic center.
The Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia , includes a couple galleries of artwork by Valencian native son and national hero Joaquín Sorolla .
The González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts is filled with majestic decorative art, paintings, and ceramics.
The Benlliure House Museum is a historic home and studio museum from a prominent artistic family. It is filled with paintings and sculptures as well as a secluded garden. Information in Spanish is available here and here.
The Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia
The most traditional museum in my selections. I don’t recall seeing any contemporary art here. However, they had an excellent selection of 19th and 20th-century works and a large selection of medieval and religious artwork.
I spent an afternoon here with my sketchbook, which was really nice. This museum (and all the others) was inexpensive to enter. All the beautiful work in this museum made me feel a little insecure. But there was more!
González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts
This is the National Ceramics Museum, ceramics being economically important in Valencia’s past. What I loved most about this museum were the painted and gilded room decorations.
A ceiling decoration the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts.
Benlliure House Museum
This was a really pleasant surprise. I often seek out painter’s house museums, because it’s wonderful to see how they lived and their studio set up. I can fantasize momentarily that I’m a famous artist from the past, living in a luxurious home.
Fortuny painting at the Benlliure House Museum
There is a really nice garden space behind the house. I took some time to just relax in the warm sun. The coach house studio is behind the garden, and there are hand-painted ceramic tiles on the walls as you stroll back there.
Valencia is frequently chosen as one of the nicest places to live in the world. And indeed, It’s pretty darn nice! There’s a great street vibe here and the March weather was wonderful.
Originally published on https://stephangiannini.com
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Painted Journals 
Thank you for this splendid newsletter. We have had a devastating turn of events here in Yancey County, North Carolina. The flooding on the weekend of September 28th destroyed 7,703 structures, including a thousand homes. Many of them were swept down the river.
When I read your newsletter, it was like finding fresh air. you sent light and beauty. thank you.
I’m not sure what I will do but something about this newsletter from you opens my imagination to new realms of Hope and possibility.
Kiesa
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So sorry to hear about the suffering in your community. I hope you can find a happy way forward.
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Wow, what a wonderful trip, Stephan. I can sense the light of the region in your photos. I always loved Sorolla’s work.
Warmly,Catherine
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