The renewal of the collection at the Museu de Belles Arts in Valencia has become a significant event for all of Spain. The new halls dedicated to the Renaissance and Counter-Reformation not only broaden our understanding of the country’s artistic heritage but also highlight Valencia’s role as a key center of cultural change in the 15th–16th centuries. This initiative shapes art historical perspectives and offers a rare chance to see works that were previously inaccessible to the general public.
The influence of Italy and Valencia’s role
In the 15th century, Valencia became the main port linking Spain with Italy. Economic growth, interest in new ideas, and the backing of powerful families like the Borgia enabled the city to be the first to embrace Renaissance trends. As early as 1472, the artists Paolo de San Leocadio and Francesco Pagano worked on frescoes in the cathedral commissioned by the future Pope Alexander VI. Later, in 1506, Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina and Fernando Llanos, known as Los Hernandos, began creating altarpiece paintings for the cathedral, drawing on skills they acquired in Leonardo da Vinci’s Florentine workshop.
A decade later, four masters who had trained in Italy—Bartolomé Ordóñez, Diego de Siloé, Pedro Machuca, and Alonso Berruguete—returned to the Iberian Peninsula. Their impact was so substantial that the historian Manuel Gómez-Moreno referred to them as “Las Águilas del Renacimiento español.” As El Pais highlights, these artists were the ones who spread new artistic ideas throughout Spain, transforming the face of its art.
Exhibition and new discoveries
The first of the renovated museum halls highlights how Valencia became a conduit for Italian influences. The exhibition features works by Paolo de San Leocadio, Joan de Borgonya, Fernando Yáñez de la Almedina, and Fernando Llanos, as well as pieces by Vicente Masip, father of Joan de Joanes. To broaden the perspective, works by Diego Siloé and Alonso Berruguete, specially acquired by the museum for this display, have also been added.
The second renovated hall is dedicated to the Counter-Reformation and its impact on painting. Here visitors can see works by Nicolás Borrás, Juan Sariñena, Vicente Requena, as well as pieces by Luis de Morales, Gaspar Becerra, and Luis de Vargas. The exhibition opens with the ‘Tríptico de la pasión’ from the El Bosco workshop, acquired by collector Mencía de Mendoza, and continues with the ‘Michele Marullo Tarcaniota’ portrait by Sandro Botticelli, loaned by the heirs of Francesc Cambó.
Masterpieces and new routes
A special place in the exhibition is devoted to the works of Vicente Masip (1475–1545) and his son Joan de Joanes (1503/1505–1579), whose paintings are regarded as among the finest in the history of Valencian art. The hall dedicated to Joan de Joanes showcases the remarkable ‘Ecce Homo,’ now a true gem of the collection.
With the opening of two new halls, the museum has completed a full renovation of its Renaissance section. Now visitors can easily trace the development of artistic styles and understand how Valencia became a hub for new ideas. According to El Pais, the updated exhibition makes the museum’s collection one of the most valuable in Spain.
Background and recent developments
In recent years, interest in Renaissance history in Spain has grown noticeably. In 2025, a major exhibition in Madrid explored the influence of Italian masters on Spanish painting, featuring works from Valencia as well. Barcelona recently launched a display on the role of Catalan artists in the spread of new artistic movements. Such projects help clarify how cultural exchange shaped modern Spain and why events like the museum renovation in Valencia attract widespread public attention.
