Where, if not in fairy tales, do you look for a reflection of reality? And where better to find authentic traces of the past than in a fairytale museum? For such an unusual excursion, one can take a short break from a beach holiday with children in the Costa del Sol and visit the Museo Lara in Ronda.
.jpg)
This exhibition is sometimes called the Historical Museum of Ronda, sometimes the Museum of Witches. The truth, as usual, lies in the middle. To begin with, it is a private collection that Juan Antonio Lara Jurado has been collecting for many years. His area of interest included objects that are now out of use or have changed their appearance and device. He housed his collection in an 18th-century palace — plenty of colourful old buildings in Ronda.
What is the fabulousness of Museo Lara? You'll find corsairs and conquistadors in its halls, and Charlie Chaplin greets all visitors from the second-floor balcony. A carriage is worthy of a Spanish queen, the bass sound of antique clocks, the rattling voice of music boxes, and romantic porcelain figurines — in such an atmosphere, you can forget about the fast-paced and technological 21st century.
Even though the museum's exhibits date back centuries, this collection cannot be called a museum of antiquities. Each item has been carefully restored, placed in a good backdrop, with good lighting, and can be viewed from all angles. Passing from hall to hall, you will see a collection of antique weapons, clocks, scientific instruments, porcelain, binoculars, fountain pens, antique furniture, guitars, the first telephone sets, typewriters, sewing machines, cameras, models of steam engines...
Everything, from the formidable seven-barrelled pistol to the elegant porcelain sculpture of a game of billiards, amazes. The collection of ordinary pots and jugs looks exceptionally cosy (and in no way alien to the palace), and there are also archaeological finds.
The entire exhibition is on the ground floor of the museum. An exhibition on witchcraft and the Inquisition occupies the basement floor. The "witch" part is quite similar to a spooky fairy tale: here's a scene where a fortune-teller tries to peek into a client's future, and there are witches using potions and spells to cure the sick. There are mermaids, werewolves and all manner of unsympathetic evil spirits, and jars contain secret potions in case a witch needs bat wings or dried toads for witchcraft. Instruments of torture are also on display here, with some of the tortures vividly illustrated. This part of the museum is not recommended for children.
