Some time ago we shared with you the 10 must-see museums in the Girona region, a selection of our 10 favorite museums that to this day, we continue to visit and recommend.
Did you know that one of these museums is categorized as a work of art? The building itself is a creation of the artist, and is considered the largest surrealist object in the world!
By now you may have already deduced that we are talking about the Dalí Theater – Museum in Figueres.
The museum was built, as its name suggests, on the ruins of the old Municipal Theater that was partially destroyed after the Civil War. Salvador Dalí was sure about one thing: Figueres, the capital of the Alt Empordà, was the place where he would showcase his art, and what was left of the Municipal Theater would be the best stage to do it:
“Where , if not in my city, should remain the most
extravagant and solid of my work, where else?”
With no doubt, a visit to the Dalí Theater – Museum does not leave anyone indifferent. Some may understand his work, while others are also fascinated by it; some consider him a genius and others will say he was a madman; some claim that he lived in his own world, and others think that he lived in an unknown future. Either way, he’s an artist like no other, and he has made history in and out of the art world.
To enjoy a visit to the Dalí Theater – Museum, we need to be ready: open our minds, put aside our prejudices, forget our definition of “normal” and let our imagination fly. We will be faced by many questions during the visit (most without answers), some of his works will leave us confused and we will discover a universe that we could never have dreamed of.
We often have fascinating things in front of us, and we only have to know how to look in order to see them. This visit will make us disconnect from the world and the rhythm of everyday life, and will transport us to a delirious universe, created by an eccentric and revolutionary genius.
A lot of surprises await us during the visit: after discovering a rainstorm inside the Cadillac parked in the patio, we will enter the stage of the theater, where an anonymous tombstone reminds us that Dalí is still here, among us.
In the same space, the work “The Hallucinogenic Toreador” shows us that Dalí was a genius. At first glance we see the statues of Venus placed in a line, one next to each other, and suddenly the figure of Manolete appears perfectly defined without anyone having painted it. From this moment on, we know we will remember this visit.
Let us tell you a curiosity: on the side of the room there is a painting (made of colored squares, like pixelated) of Gala looking out of a window. Well, it turns out that this painting hides another work, which you will see if you move to the center of the stage and look at it using one of these two tricks:
Amazing, right? We could tell you many more curiosities, but since the Dalí Theater – Museum is full of surprises, the best way to enjoy it is to discover them yourself. No more spoilers!
Don’t leave the Dalí Theater – Museum of Figueres without first visiting Dalí · Jewels, the permanent exhibition of jewelry designed by the artist, and a collection of extraordinary sketches and designs. Only an artist like Dalí can make a jewel beat…
And, if like us, you love the visit and want to know more about the artist and discover his work in depth, you cannot miss the other two museums, which form a triangle that runs through the Empordà: the Dalinian Triangle.
Located in Púbol, in the heart of the Baix Empordà and surrounded by medieval towns, the Gala Dalí Castle was a gift that Salvador Dalí gave to Gala, his wife. He had promised her that he would give her a castle so that she could live like a princess, and she took it so seriously that Dalí could not visit her without an invitation. (In the castle you will be able to see some of the cards that Gala used to send invitations for the visits).
In the north of the Costa Brava, in Portlligat, the Salvador Dalí House is part of the landscape that inspired the artist. When we visit this space, we understand that Gala was not Salvador Dalí’s only muse. In love with Cap de Creus, after being banished from Cadaqués by his father, Dalí bought a fisherman’s hut in Portlligat which would become his home.
Touring the Dalinian Triangle will take you on a journey through the life of the artist, but also through the different corners of the Empordà. We warn you: you will fall in love with the area!