Villajoyosa’s new museum – ancient graffiti, toys, and much more

IN appreciation of its ancient heritage, Villajoyosa is now going to create its own museum on the site of the old school Doctor Esquerdo.

The construction project is a joint venture arrangement between local builders and architects, and the Mayor Jaime Lloret says he is confident the project will create more employment in the area, both in the initial construction and for the future.

Thanks to past preservation projects, the museum collection already has more than 10,000 items listed, of which 500 have been selected for permanent display.

The collection ranges from Phoenician and Roman jewellery, to children’s toys and games from throughout the ages; the fashion of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, through to graffiti from a myriad of quirky sources (military, naval, religious, entertainment) and of all from ages (Byzantines, the nineteenth century, and post-war).

There will also be ceramics collections from the Iberians, Greeks and Phoenicians, and Egyptian pieces in the form of amulets, perfume bottles.

This museum will become “the focal point of cultural corridor” of the locality said the Mayor, whose existing cultural attractions include the Museum of Chocolate, the theatre, and the house La Finca La Barbera dels Aragonés museum, the library, Villa Centella, and the Roman baths in the Old Town.

The new museum will be located in the old school Doctor Esquerdo, and in keeping with the concept of preservation and conservation, will maintain the original facade of the building, with the construction of an entirely new museum behind the old frontage. Works are due to be started very shortly.

By Paul Deed