The Rafael Alberti Foundation and House-Museum is situated in a building where he spent his childhood, in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz. A collection of personal items, manuscripts, letters, paintings, audiovisual documents and awards are permanently displayed there.

Rafael Alberti, one of the poets in the mythical 27th Generation, has not only filled beautiful and important pages in the contemporary literature but lived with an exemplary ethic and dignity, finally recognized with many prizes such as the National one on Literature, the National on Theatre and the Cervantes on Literature. His work is frequently said to span the entire development of modern Spanish poetry.

He lived in exile for thirty nine years -twenty four in Argentina and almost fifteen in Italy- as both he and his wife -writer Maria Teresa León- were deeply committed and involved with the Spanish Republica. He came back to Spain in 1977 after the death of Franco.

He was born in December 1902 in El Puerto de Santa María, where he spent his childhood and lived until 1917. The building housing the permanent exhibition was his family home. This town is located right on the Bay of Cádiz. Travellers can enjoy their leisure time in beaches of fine, golden sand such as Valdelagrana, one of the most accessible areas there.

"Rafael Alberti: A Century of living creation ", as the permanent exhibition is named, takes up the whole ground floor of the building. The poet's biography appears in the wide panels and boards following a peculiar chronological round. There are some photos and drawings where Alberti´s mythical life, his literary and pictorial work , his ideology, his exile years in France , Argentina and Italy , are shown with faithful minuteness.

The House-Museum is inside the town's historical centre, near the Plaza de Toros (Bullring) and the Castillo de San Marcos (Castle). The main entrance is level and doors are wide. Tickets are bought at the reception desk (just one height). The ground floor is barrier free: there are no doors to access any of the five rooms where panels, boards and drawings are displayed.

The first floor is accessible by means of a spacious elevator located opposite to the main door. Three rooms may be visited on this floor:

A.- Alberti´s paintings, drawings and other Works.
B.- Audiovisual room, where one can see videos of the poet, with images of different moments in his life until his death are shown. The door to get into this room might not be wide enough for some wheelchair users, depending on the kind of wheelchair. There are no reserved areas for wheelchairs, but ordinary chairs in the room can be moved.
C- María Teresa León Room: a room dedicated to his first wife, who shared with the poet, fifty years of her life. We can see through some photos and documents, the intense literary activity she carried out and her active political contribution. There are two doors in this room which might not be wide enough for some wheelchair users, depending on the kind of wheelchair.

There are no adapted/accessible toilets in the Museum.

Audioguides are available in French, Spanish and English and can be rented at an extra cost of 2 Euros. Guided visits for groups are available too and should be arranged in advance.

Mind that the area of the town where the house is located is one of narrow streets and narrow streetwalks (room enough for a wheelchair. but not always!) Actually it's not very conveniently located for a wheelchair user as car parks should be considered to be far if one has to stroll and roll the narrow labyrinth of streets. There's a parking bay reserved for the Foundation personnel just opposite to the house (neither adapted nor accessible, no curb cuts) which (if you ask for permission previously) might be used to drop passengers...

Opening Schedule:
From Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00 a .m - 2.30 p.m

Admission fees:
Ordinary: 3 euros.
Students, young people (under 25) and over 65: 1.5 euros
Children under 8: free admission.

Fundación Rafael Alberti
C/ Santo Domingo, 25
11500 El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz.
Tel: (+34) 956 850 711, (+34) 956 850 960
Fax: (+34) 956 852 299
E-mail: casamuseo@rafaelalberti.es
www.rafaelalberti.es

Rebecca Arce

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