History of the Museum

The precedent of the Museum of Menorca was the old Municipal Museum of Maó. Created from a set of private donations, it opened its doors in 1889 in the Principal de Guardia. It is not however until November 23, 1944 that the Provincial Museum of Fine Arts was created in the building of Can Mercadal, where the Public Library was also housed. The growth of the collections is remarkable thanks to donations and excavations promoted by the Comisaría Insular de Excavaciones, a stage that culminated Maria Llogaia Serra, as director of the museum. In the 80s and 90s of the last century, the museum began a period of change: it moved to its definitive headquarters in the convent of San Francisco, a new stage of archaeological research began and the archaeological and fine arts funds were expanded. In 1998, the first permanent exhibition of the Museum of Menorca opened its doors. Finally, in 2015, with the new direction of Carolina Desel, it brings a new direction to the museum, putting the public at the center of the institution. On July 18, 2018, the doors of the new Museum of Menorca opened.