FREDERIC MARES MUSEUM Barcelona

This museum was founded by local artist Frederic Mares, Spain's most prolific collector, in 1946. The entrance is via a beautiful medieval courtyard, which was once part of the Royal Palace of the Kings and Queens of Catalonia and Aragon. The museum itself is divided into three main sections: Roman artifacts in the basement, the sculpture collection on the first floor, featuring religious works from the Romanesque period to the 20th century, and the 'Sentimental Museum' on the other floors, which portrays daily life from the 15th to 20th centuries through astonishing household items. Highlights include the women's section (with collections of fans, parasols, Jewellery and hat pins), the smoker's room, and the charming entertainments room, with its puppet theatres, wind-up toys and dolls.