Figueras Attractions

The Town House is a neoclassical building painted and decorated so stridently. It’s also called Torre Galatea and is where Dali lived his last years. After his death it was amended to expand into the museum and house the offices of the Gala-Dali.

Under the dome of the museum lies the remains of genius AMPURDANES. It was opened in 1974 and was buried under the dome at the express wishes of Dali in 1989. Some works made expressly for the theater-museum are in the Mae West room, living room, or the Palau del Vent Rainy Cadillac.

Museum of Joguet Catalonia: Inaugurated in 1982 at the premises of the old Paris Hotel (former home of Baron Terrades) in the Rambla de Figueras. Some recent works of restoration and adaptation have helped triple the original space of the museum, which was reopened on December 12, 1998.

The museum exhibits over 4000 pieces zoetropes, mechanisms, theaters, pets, horses, cardboard, kitchen, balls, tops, aircraft, cars, trains, dolls, puppets, magic equipment, games for the blind, costumes, soldiers, robots, steam engines, teddy bears, tricycles, scooters, and so much more.

Many of these pieces are accompanied by old photographs of children with their toys, which help us to comprehend the chronological order and look at how children played during each era.

Some toys belonged to Anna Maria and people like Salvador Dali, Federico Garcia Lorca, Joan Miro, Josep Palau Fabre, Joan Brossa, Monzo Quim, and Frederic Amat. The museum has a Center for Documentation and Research on games and toys, the Auditori-Brossa Fregoli, and an area for outdoor activities.

There are also multiple readings about the nostalgic toys of our grandfathers and grandmothers and observations with regard to scientific and technical advances in each period that have influenced the design of games and toys, just as they continue to and take part in historical events and artistic movements. Here you can find the most beautiful memories of childhood.

Museum of the Emporda: The rooms represent a wide range of art and archaeology of this region, from prehistoric times to the present day, with a special dedication to paintings of Catalan Ampurdan, of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The tour begins with a sample of the Alt Emporda archaeological finds from the Neolithic until the Roman conquest, which includes a collection of personal ornaments, Greek black-figure pottery, and red glass, then continues with medieval and modern times, where you can see the works of the monastery of San Pedro de Rhodes, as well as deposits of works from the Prado Museum.

It takes you through the works of Pinazo, Sorolla, Nonell, Marti Alsina, and Berga Boix, Casas, Gargallo, Gimeno, Mir, Masriera, Sunyer, Mares, and Dunyach Casanovas, among others.

You can follow the trajectory of Catalan art from the middle of the 19th century to the early modernism and avant-garde, with works by Tapias, Ponce, and Cuixart.

Castillo de San Fernando (Castell de Sant Ferran): Built during the reign of Ferdinand VI of Spain in 1743 and designed by Juan Martin Zermeno and Pedro Martin-Paredes Zermeno. There is a pentagonal plant with a perimeter that reaches 5.6 km. It is the greatest monument of Catalonia and one of the world’s most remarkable.

Parish Church of Sant Pere: A Gothic-style nave and chapels between buttresses. A Neo-Gothic bell was added to the roof.

The Dali Theater-Museum: Built as a theater in the 19th century and restored in 1966, adding a top metal grid and original ornaments and decorations directed by surrealist Salvador Dali himself to accommodate his work.

Finally, Comalat, Bonaterra, Llavaneras, Eusebi de Puig, Nunez, Salvador Dali, Angels Santos Torroella, Angel Planells, Joan Massanet, Evarist Valles, Joan Sibeca, Joan Padern, Pujolboira, Josep Lluis Roura Ministral, and many others show the evolution of Ampurdan painting through realistic landscapes, surrealism, conceptual abstraction, and the new figuration. The museum also holds various exhibitions throughout the year.

The Museum of Technique de l’Emporda: An interesting collection of typewriters, sewing machines, and other devices.

Private Collection Watches Marti Amiel: In the private collection of over 3000 items collected by Mr. Marti Amiel, there are sets clocks of all types, from bell clocks, pocket watches, sunshine, and more rare types, such as water, sand, fire, and mechanical. The collection is a chronological tour through the history of the clock, from sundials to atomic.

Figueres also holds the Comarcal Archive, an archive of the Alt Emporda Comarcal with documentation from all towns of the region.

Festivals

A festival called “Les Festes de Santa Creu (Fiestas de la Santa Cruz)” is held in early May. There is also a local festival that is celebrated on June 29—the feast of San Pedro (Sant Pere).

Famous residents

Salvador Dali, artist.

Narcis Monturiol, inventor of the submarine.

Carles Fages de Climent, poet and writer.

Monica Naranjo, singer.

Josep Anton Vandellos, economist.

Collar Joaquin Serra, aviator.

Jacinto Bosch Vila, Arabist.