MAJ

The origins of the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Jerez.

The origins of the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Jerez date back to 1873 in the city's Cabildo Viejo portico, when the also-called 'Archeological Deposit' was annexed to the Municipal Library.

After 1931, with Don Manuel Esteve Guerrero as director, this 'Deposit' was properly installed and catalogued. It opened to the public in 1935 as the 'Archaeological Collection' and added a further two rooms to the previous exhibition space.

In 1938, one of the most notable pieces in the collection was discovered - the exceptional Corinthian helmet from the Guadalete River. As the collection increased with objects from excavations organized by Manuel Esteve himself in Mesas de Asta, the ancient Hasta Regia granted this primitive Collection the status of Municipal Archaeological Museum by Ministerial Order in 1963.

Due to the bad condition of the facilities, the Museum closed in 1982. It re-opened in its current site on Plaza del Mercado on 9 November 1993.

It has formed part of the Andalusian Museum Registry since 1997. In 2005, the Museum began refurbishment and expansion to give a broader, more up-to-date vision of the city's history and its location.