On 28 May 2002, Queen Sofia inaugurated the new headquarters of the Archaeological Museum of Alicante in a building as unique as the collections it houses: the former provincial hospital. Today, 18 years later, the MARQ can boast that it is one of the most important cultural centres of international referenceThe company has received important recognitions and awards from prestigious organisations.
The Vice-President and Member of Parliament for Culture, Julia ParraHe congratulated the entire MARQ team "for making it possible over the years for the museum to gain great international prestige for its work on many important collections, its research, dissemination and integration work, and for opening its doors to host hundreds of events and meetings of interest".
The deputy also stressed that "even during the pandemic, the Museum has remained active, at the service of society. This year we still have many good moments to experience, such as the Xi'an Warriors exhibition, which has caused great excitement all over the world".
In the period since 2002, the use of the new technologies has greatly facilitated the tools to bring the vestiges from prehistoric times to contemporary times, passing through Iberian culture, the Romans and the Middle Ages, in an itinerary that has more than 81,000 exhibits. In addition to the permanent chronological and cultural rooms, which display the main archaeological collections of the archaeological sites of the Alicante region, the MARQ offers visitors three other thematic areas, dedicated to the science of field, urban and underwater archaeology.
The museum has become the main cultural enclave in the province of Alicante and has hosted international exhibitions of the highest level with great public acclaim. In fact, Doña Sofía, who is very fond of the museum, has visited it on two other occasions to inaugurate the exhibition 'The Beauty of the Body', which she brought to Alicante in 2009. the Discóbolo de Mirón- and to see the exhibition Hermitage. Treasures of Russian Archaeology at the MARQ'.nine years ago.
With its own annual excavation plan, the MARQ stands out for its great work of research, conservation and dissemination of archaeological heritage of the province. It has also developed numerous programmes aimed at promoting the use and enjoyment of the park for all audiences, with special emphasis on actions linked to accessibility. The pattern followed has been that of collaboration with institutions and associations at local, provincial and regional level of people with disabilities and at risk of social exclusion. Programmes that the museum has extended to the archaeological parks by facilitating and promoting access to the Tossal de Manises and the Illeta dels BanyetsThe aim is to adapt the routes and provide the means for a better understanding of the vestiges in order to arouse in all visitors, regardless of their abilities, an interest in the past and the need to preserve its legacy.
Among other awards, the MARQ won the following prizes 2004 Best Museum in Europe Award and the magazine National Geographic includes it in its list of ten museums of a must-see in Spain. In September 2018, it was the first museum in our country to obtain the Q for Tourism Quality Certification in the UNE 302002 standard.
For more information on the history of MARQ, click here.
