Museu de Peralada

A castle collection inside a former Carmelite convent

The Museu de Peralada unfolds across the historic buildings of the castle complex, including the former Carmelite convent and its Gothic church and cloister. The setting is part of the visit: a religious house, later adapted through centuries of local history, now holds collections assembled by the Mateu family and cared for by the Suqué-Mateu family.

Inside, the range is unusually broad. A major glass collection sits alongside ceramics, a lapidary collection in the cloister, and a wine museum that follows the region’s relationship with wine through historic objects. The library, with close to 100,000 volumes, adds a quieter scholarly dimension, while a permanent display on Hispano-Suiza automobiles gives the visit an unexpected turn from medieval architecture to industrial design.