Málaga’s Real Conservatorio de Música María Cristina: A Timeless Spark of

The Real Conservatorio de Música María Cristina is a Bien de Interés Cultural-listed public building in Málaga, originally a convent of the San Luis Real Franciscan order founded by the Catholic Monarchs in 1489. Standing between Calle Marqués de Valdecañas and Plaza de San Francisco in the La Goleta neighborhood of the District Centro, it has a total surface area of over 2322 m². The conservatory moved here in the early 20th century, leaving its original location abandoned until 1975.

Caja de Ahorros de Ronda (now Unicaja) bought the building for restoration and public use, completing the process in 2009. Today, it houses the Sala María Cristina. The Salón de los Espejos and the Salón Mudéjar are notable parts of the building. In the Salón de los Espejos, 19th-century wooden ceiling and wall paintings were recovered in 1871, when the Liceo moved in. The painters found during the restoration process, who contributed to different parts of the building, include Joaquín Martínez De La Vega, José Denis Belgrano, and José Nogales.

After desamortización in 1836, the convent underwent a deep transformation, resulting in the secularization, dismemberment, and parceling of its properties. Only some elements of the original male monastery remain, including a part of the first crujía, the chapel, and the tower embedded in later additions. In 1871, the Liceo, a cultural society, was founded here, which had a great influence on the political and cultural life of Málaga. The Liceo moved into the building in 1871.

After the Liceo was discontinued, the Conservatory of Music moved in. The Conservatory was named Real Conservatorio de Música ’María Cristina’ due to the support of Queen Maria Cristina. The Liceo's move transformed the building, adding important decorative painting. The decoration includes the Mudéjar room, the room of mirrors, and the concert room. The decoration is in the eklektic and academicist style. The painters represented in the decoration include José Denis Belgrano, Joaquín Martínez de la Vega, and José Nogales Sevilla. In 1971, a new Conservatorio de Música building was constructed in Plaza El Ejido.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons