Museo de Regla y sus misioneros

The Museum in Regla is located on the first floor of the Sanctuary that used to house the cells for the Franciscans.

This museum pays tribute to two great references: the Virgin of Regla and the missionaries, who were received before the altar of the Virgin of the Missionaries Cross. It is divided into large rooms: The Mission Room, divided into three sections: The first refers to Morocco. From an explanation of why San Francisco wanted his children there, there is a display of the everyday life of the Franciscans in those lands and certain elements pertaining to the country. Then in the section dedicated to the Holy Land there is an exhibition of coins where you will find coins that appear in the bible in both the Old and the New Testament. Then there are 1st-century archaeological remains from the town of Nazareth and an abundant collection of wooden images from the Mount of Olives and a collection of mother-of-pearl utensils. The collection also includes objects of enormous importance such as a mother-of-pearl relic of a chapel that was to be presented as a gift to Pope Benedict XVI, the bureau of Father Lerchundi made using the inlay technique and the huge natural mother-of-pearl rosary presented a century ago by missionaries to the Holy Land who had studied at this college.

The Missionary Museum finishes with a miscellaneous collection of objects brought from China, the collection of pictures belonging to high-profile missionaries and a number of important pieces like the statuette of the Egyptian god Amón. We should not forget the archaeological importance of the City of Chipiona, that an also be appreciated in these exhibition rooms, with a number of interesting pieces: a terra sigillata drinking vessel, the neck of a vase and some carved lamps. The Liturgical Room: The Sanctuary houses a very important relic of the Lignum Crucis validated by the Vatican. It also house a broad collection of relics from all ages of which the most interesting have been selected for display. Highlights also include four dress suits of different colours and from different eras, with special mention for one that was woven by the princesses of the Royal Household in the 19th century. Cloak Room: Before you enter there is a display of a silver breastplate that protected an image of the Virgin for several centuries accompanied by the famous key of the Miracle of the Virgin in the dungeons in Granada. The most important and central jewel in this room is the Crown. The Virgin's capes are also significantly placed: that of the processional exit, hand-kissing, departure of the octave, the rockery, the Immaculate Conception and Manolete.

An unusual item is the votive cape that the Montpensier family wore at the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1850 and it has been preserved intact in this exhibition hall. Also featured are a number of accessories such as 'rostrillos' (jewellery adorning the face of the Virgin), several crowns, beads and objects relating to religious devotion such as processionary lamps and the angels from the Mayoress's mace.

Schedule

Sanctuary opening times: 8am to 12 noon and 5pm to 7.30pm in the low season. 8am to 12 noon and 5pm to 8.30pm in the high season Rule Museum opening times: Every Friday at 7pm. Advance booking required. Small groups

Other information

The Sanctuary of Regla contains the following: * Niche of the Virgin Mary: It consists of Neo-baroque fresco paintings that allude to the different miracles performed by the Virgin of Regla, as well as several Japanese vases and pictures alluding to the legendary appearance of the Virgin of Regla, painted by Juan Laffita in 1933. * Mudéjar Cloister: Corresponds to the golden age of the Ponce de León family and can be dated to the mid-15th century. It is in the Gothic-Mudéjar style. The paving, with flagstones from Tarifa, has been preserved in its worn state and in the centre there is a cistern dating from 1460, over which an Italian parapet was placed in the 17th century. The original austerity of this cloister was in perfect harmony with the ornamentation typical of a fortified sanctuary as it would have been in its early days. The current tiles are also part of the Baroque transformation of the cloister. They are small pieces of tilework from Triana dating back to 1640, one preserves that date, and decorated with animal, human and heraldic motifs and featuring the coat of arms of Ponce de León who sponsored this work at that time. The other ancient feature that has been preserved is an elegant twin-window in the wall that connects this patio with the chapter house. A beautiful mullioned window with a double pointed horseshoe arch. Right next to it is the cellar, where images were kept so that they would not be looted. * Library: Dates back to the 19th century. Under the tutelage of Father Lerchundi the founding Franciscan friars already brought more than 300 volumes that would be the germ of the current collection, made up of more than 50,000 books. Most of them were donated by the Franciscan friars themselves as well as private individuals, with a special mention for Canon Francisco Mateos Gago from Seville, who on his death bequeathed a significant number of works. They cover a wide range of subjects, especially theology, philosophy and humanities. It was built in two phases, the first was designed and built by Fray José Rodríguez, who had built the Sanctuary and many other Franciscan buildings. The second was added a number of years later by Fray Félix Ormazábal.

Price

€5 per person