The Gaudí Palace in Astorga registered a total of 102,227 visits last year 2019. This figure is 4.51 percent more than that recorded during 2018, which closed with a total of 97,814 entries. The temporary exhibitions ‘Natus Est’ and ‘INRI’ were a boost for the monumental building of Astorga. “This 2019 has consolidated the changes introduced in 2018 regarding the new guided tours, as well as the audio guides with tablet,” explained this Friday the director of the Asturian monument, Víctor Murias Borrajo.
Murias also valued positively the balance of the data of visits to the Gaudí Palace referred to 2019. “We have had a very positive year in relation to the previous one and the two temporary exhibitions have helped when it comes to energizing the Museum of the Pathways,” he expanded.
The director also took stock and reflected on the new elements introduced during this 2019 especially directed towards didactic experiences. “This year we wanted to provide the Palace with new didactic materials and spaces to complement the experiences. This didactic project will be completed in 2020 with the update of the tablets intended for children and school visits,” explained Murias Borrajo. Coinciding with the start of the school year, the Palace inaugurated the new didactic classroom, a space specially equipped to receive schoolchildren and present the history of the Asturian monument in a dynamic and age-appropriate way.
Another of the elements implemented this 2019 was the presentation of a new visual guide, a book dedicated especially to Gaudí’s monument that is already available in five languages: Spanish, English, French, German and Italian. A document that has been very well received and very well reviewed by readers.
Similarly, the director Víctor Murias took stock of the novelties implemented during 2019, with the musealization of the basement, as well as the enhancement of a model of the monumental axis of Astorga with the Palace of Gaudí and the Cathedral of Santa María. In addition, the languages available on the audio guide tablets have been expanded; the monument can now be seen in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian and sign language.
For the musealization of the basement, the old explanatory signs of the Lapidary Museum were recovered, and showcases were installed in which visitors have better access and information about the most delicate pieces.
Throughout 2019, the Palace received almost 10,000 pilgrims, 7,500 students and there has been a remarkable increase in the use of the tablet for the visit. Likewise, more than 9,000 guided tours have been conducted throughout the year; these are the ones that receive the best rating from visitors.