Madrid’s Naval Museum preserves the material culture of maritime history: maps, instruments, ship models, weapons, paintings, and flags. Its collection began as an educational project for naval officers, then became a public museum in the capital.
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A ship model can compress an entire system into a tabletop: hull design, rigging, navigation, and labor all become visible at once. The Naval Museum’s collection was conceived for teaching as much as display. In 1792, Antonio Valdés proposed a Museum of the Navy at San Carlos in Cádiz to support the instruction of midshipmen.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The original museum proposal dates to a Royal Order of September 28, 1792.
- The Naval Museum opened in Madrid on November 19, 1843.
- It moved to the Navy Headquarters in 1932.
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