[Curiositi] The most important museums in the world

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Throughout history, the human being has been outlining what we now know as historical memory. All that artistic and cultural heritage has been under the protection of museums, spaces where the life and experiences of past, present and even future times are reflected, or the particularities of an artist who breaks defined schemes. .

However, not everyone has the privilege of storing that x-ray of humanity. Only a few, the most prestigious, have risen to the challenge to ensure the safety and dissemination of these works. Thus, every year millions of people make these places a must-see along with other activities.

The variety of classes of existing museums is really wide. We can find specialists in natural science (such as the Jurassic Museum of Asturias), in technology (such as the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum in Valencia), in contemporary art (such as the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art in Seville), or in history.

It is not surprising, then, that society has wanted to pay tribute in some way to the important role played by these cultural centers. For this reason, since 1977, International Museum Day has been commemorated on May 18. From America to Oceania, passing through Europe, Asia and Africa, this event has gotten more than 120 countries to join the cause and involving nearly 30,000 different museums around the world. This date has thus become an opportunity to promote history, art and culture and strengthen ties between societies.

The prestigious publication of ‘The Art Newspaper’ compiles an annual list of the 100 most visited museums in the world. Among those selected, the country with the largest number of po[CENSORED]r museums is the United States, with a total of 18. However, the city with the highest number of visits to museums is London, with a total of 10 of these buildings. In this gallery, we present you a short list with the most visited in descending order, according to this latest ranking.

 

1. Louvre museum (France)

The French museum leads the ranking with an approximate number of visitors of around 7.5 million people per year. The Louvre stands out for its collections that integrate both fine arts, archeology and decorative arts. It has some 35,000 exhibition pieces, out of a total of approximately 445,000. The building, founded in 1973, has an area of more than 200,000 m².

 

         2. Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA)

Next on the list is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in one of the world's most populous cities, New York. The building has been in the Manhattan district since its foundation more than 100 years ago, specifically on February 20, 1872. According to the list, the museum receives an average of more than 7 million visitors.

 

        3. British Museum (UK)

The British Museum was created in 1753 in London, although it did not open its doors to the public until 1759. The center stores more than 7 million objects from around the world, classified by geographical origin. You can find all kinds of prehistoric, medieval and ancient culture curiosities such as Greek, Roman or Chinese. Its growth was so rapid that the museum was forced to carry out different expansions and make services independent, such as that of the British Library in 1973 or the transfer of natural objects to the Natural History Museum in 1887. The British Museum welcomed in 2016 more than 6.4 million people.

   

         4. National Gallery (UK)

London repeats its presence again within the top 5 ranked. This time, with the National Gallery, a museum opened in 1824 that collects some 2,300 works (most of them of European origin) between the years 1250 and 1900. The museum only exhibits pictorial works and leaves aside the sculpture exhibition u other objects for different museums. According to the list, in the last year it had an average of more than 6.2 million tourists.

 

        5. National Palace Museum (Taiwan)

The next busiest museum is in the city and capital of the Republic of China, Taipei (in Taiwan). The center has a permanent collection of around 700,000 antiquities of Chinese culture. Despite its creation in 1925, it did not open until forty years later, in 1965. ‘The Art Newspaper’ registered more than 6.1 million visitors during 2016.

 

        6. Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

It is a set of galleries located in Vatican City, made up of thematic museums, monuments and large gardens, in addition to the Vatican Library. In owning a collection of the Catholic Church, it is not surprising that his works have a large religious component. Some of its collections are very famous, as is the case of the sculpture group of "Laocoonte and his children" or "Happy Venus".

The image includes a photograph of Giuseppe Momo's stairs, which lead to the Vatican Museums. This group of buildings receives an average of 6 million tourists a year.

 

       7. Tate Modern (UK)

The British National Museum of Modern Art or also known as Tate Modern is next on the list. It is located in the heart of London, specifically in the former Bankside Power Station. Despite its recent creation, in 2000, the building has already positioned itself as one of the most visited museums in the world. Its permanent exhibition is freely accessible and it is only paid for some temporary ones. In 2016 the Tate Modern received more than 5.8 million tourists.

 

       8. National Gallery of Art (USA)

The National Gallery of Art was founded in the late 1930s in the city of Washington following an act of the US Congress. This is made up of two main buildings, connected by an underground tunnel. The neoclassical design of the west building, the oldest and formed by columns and a large central dome, is reminiscent of that of the Pantheon of Agrippa in Rome. Both galleries offer a wide collection spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. In addition, the gallery has about 25,000m² of garden with sculptures. It is estimated that this building receives more than 4 million visits a year.

 

       9. Hermitage Museum (Russia)

More than 250 years old, the Hermitage Museum in the city of Saint Petersburg is currently the most complete art gallery in the world, according to the records of the Guinness Book of Records. The building has more than 3 million works of art, ranging from the Stone Age to our current century. In the mid-19th century, visiting the museum was restricted to the elite and a special permit was also required to enter. According to the ranking, the Hermitage Museum opened its doors in 2016 to more than 4.1 million people.

 

       10. Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum (Spain)

The tenth place in the list of ‘The Art Newspaper’ is for the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum, founded in 1992 and located in the Old General Hospital of Madrid. The museum focuses on a journey through the history of national contemporary art and divides its collection into three different stages. However, among all the pieces on display, Pablo Picasso's El Guernica is one of the museum's quintessential works. According to the ranking, in 2016 it received more than 3.6 million visits.