Welcome to Málaga, the city that used to be the cream of the crop back in the day, (second only to Barcelona, no big deal) thanks to their booming industry and maritime trade. However, it wasn’t just their economic status that made them stand out from the rest. The rising and wealthy bourgeoisie were on a mission to transform Málaga into a more elegant and charming place. They added public parks, gardens, and fancy boulevards like Alameda or Calle Larios. They also splurged on art, built insane homes, and collected objects of great beauty (more like objects of envy).
While the Ruiz Picasso family was not exactly part of the cool kids’ table, they did live quite comfortably for their standards. Pablo’s birthplace, Casa Natal, is now a small museum that showcases a range of the artist’s prints, drawings, and sketchbooks. But this museum is not your typical snooze-fest. It’s jam-packed with witty quotes from Pablo himself, like “I have never done children’s drawings. Never. Even when I was very small”. It’s full of pictures covering different parts of his life, from candid shots of bullfights in France, to adorable snaps of him playing with his kids on the beach. Upstairs, you get to indulge in the period furnishings, family heirlooms, and other tea-spilling stories about the Picasso family’s life in Málaga.
Now, let’s take a short stroll to the Plaza de la Merced, the heart of the action back in Pablo’s day. This outdoor market would have been an explosion of color and energy, no doubt about it. Calle Granada is only steps away and home to the Parish Church of Santiago Apostal, the exact church where Pablo was baptized. The fancy facade of the 16th-century church is quite understated, but its interior is a celebration of abundance with its beautiful stucco reliefs adorning the ceiling, and a spectacular wooden retablo over the altar painted a dreary shade of olive green. The baptismal font is located near the back of the church, so if you’re not paying attention, you might miss it, and that’s on you.
Serious News: nytimes
