“Look, over there, to the south, lies Málaga” - Pablo Picasso

2023 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the passing of a Málaga native, and not just an ordinary one, but the most universal Malagueño that the city witnessed being born; the Malagueño who carried a little piece of our land in every painting, in every poem, in every sketch… And, above all, the Malagueño who became one of the most important artists of the 20th century: Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Embark on a tour alongside Palacio Solecio to discover the most significant places of the artist’s early life, as well as his indelible legacy. On this Picassian Route, we will visit the places that sparked his imagination and witness the traces he left in each spot.

Casa Natal Museum (birthplace)
Having spent the first 10 years of his life in Malaga, the route will begin with a visit to the artist’s birthplace. Located at number 15, Plaza de la Merced, this house was the site where the genius was born in 1881 and where he began to develop his talent under the tutelage of his father, a renowned drawing teacher at the Málaga School of Fine Arts.

Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument of National Interest, the Casa Natal Museum has evolved from its original single floor to a facility that encompasses the entire building. It also has an exhibition hall just a few metres away.

Church of Santiago Apóstol
Built on the site of a former mosque in 1940, today we find the oldest church in Málaga: the Church of Santiago Apóstol. Located just a few steps from Palacio Solecio, this church became a place of great importance in the history of the Picasso family, who held great devotion for this church in particular. It was here that both his grandparents and parents were married, and where the artist was baptised in 1881—perhaps the starting point of his complex relationship with religion.

Preserving Muslim elements from its time as a mosque, this Catholic Church—declared a site of cultural interest—is a must-see in both the history of Picasso and the city of Málaga.

The former San Telmo School of Fine Arts
The former San Telmo School of Fine Arts was Pablo Picasso’s first contact with classical studies. Although he never attended this academy, his father, José Ruiz Blasco, was a drawing teacher there, and instilled a series of disciplines in a young Picasso, which would influence his evolution as an artist.

The city of Málaga shares anecdotes about Picasso’s unruly behaviour, who refused to go to school. One of the most famous stories recounts how he used to take his father’s paintbrushes and belongings to school, forcing his father to come and collect them so that he could skip his classes and go to the academy.

Picasso Museum
Located in the majestic Palacio de Bellavista, the Picasso Museum Málaga is much more than just a museum. It is the fulfilment of Pablo Picasso’s last and deepest wish: that his artwork would find a home in the place where he was born.

With a total of 285 pieces, generously donated by the artist’s grandchildren, we can witness the timeless legacy left by the most influential artist of the 20th century through an astonishing variety of styles, materials, and techniques that Picasso mastered over the course of his career, from classicism to cubism, surrealism, ceramics, and his touching late paintings of the 1970s.

After immersing ourselves in the intimate world of Picasso, what better place to end the route than at Palacio Solecio, a historic building built in 1776 that was standing right there on the day Picasso was born, that witnessed from Granada Street how a little boy from Málaga conquered the art world, that mourned with its neighbours the loss of the great artist, and that smiled once again as his masterpieces returned home. There, we will find an exhibition of photographic portraits of the artist, where we will come face to face with the immortalised gaze hidden behind each canvas—granting us the opportunity to step behind the scenes of Pablo Picasso’s life.