Museo de Artes y Costumbres

The Museum of Arts and Customs is a fascinating time capsule of a Málaga from before industrialisation. While many of the artisan crafts still exist in little pockets of heritage and the occasional tourist attraction, it is hard to grasp just how individual and characterful the way of life was in times gone by, reliant as it was on the local resources available. It was also harsh and unpredictable, and you have to put yourself into the shoes of the people who lived this life to get an idea of how much has changed in modern Spain. In this museum you will see reconstructed examples of a wide range of the artisan manufacturing techniques that maintained the economy and life in general. Agriculture is central, with exhibits of original stone olive presses, a wine press and plenty of implements for what must have been back-breaking manual toil in the harsh heat and cold of the countryside. There are also faithful reconstructions of life in a subsistence household, and what is always impressive is just how much use they were able to make of local clay, stone, leather and materials like cane and esparto grass. It is a comprehensive and detailed museum of 19 rooms, and there is much to get absorbed in, so give yourself a couple of hours at least to enjoy this fascinating trip back in time.