The high-profile Baronesa Thyssen Bornemisza, a former beauty queen, is now one of the world’s foremost art collectors. She has loaned the new museum in Malaga paintings from her personal collection.

The museum named after her - Museo Carmen Thyssen was opened in March 2011 by The Baroness herself and the mayor of Malaga, Fernando de la Torre. The new museum estimates that there will be 200-250,000 visitors in its first year, a great boost for the city of Malaga.

On view are 230 paintings, mainly by 19th-century Spanish artists and the subjects mainly feature Andalucia life and the famous monuments and landmarks of the provinces of Cordoba, Malaga and Sevilla.

Many famous Spanish painters feature in the collection such as Zurbaran, Sorolla, Zuloaga, and Romero Torres.

The museum is situated in the glorious Palacio de Villalon, a 16th century palace with a traditional Andalucian patio. The palace was reformed at a cost of 20 million euros and will host various temporary exhibitions as well as the permanent collection.

If you are an art lover the Picasso Museum, also in Malaga, is just a short walk away in the historic quarter of Malaga in the lovely 16th century Palacio de Buenavista, a typical Andalucian house with Renaissance and Mudejar influences. It houses almost 200 works of art in the twelve halls of the Museum permanent collection. The gallery has another 4 halls for displaying temporary exhibitions as well as an assembly hall, a library, an educational department and an investigation and a promotion centre.

This collection is of works and paintings that Picasso gave to his family members and many of the exhibits have not been seen in public before. Its inauguration day, 27th October 2003 saw almost 2,000 visitors and its popularity hasn´t diminished.

Visit here to see some images from the Museo Carmen Thyssen

Or here to read more about the Picasso Museum