The Hispanic Society chooses València for its first European museum
14 January, 2026In 2026, Valencia will take a decisive leap in its cultural positioning with the opening of the first Sorolla Museum of the Hispanic Society outside New York and the institution’s only European branch. The new space will be located in the Palacio de las Comunicaciones, on the Town Hall Square and will bring together 220 works by Joaquín Sorolla from the prestigious New York museum. The initiative will establish in the city the second-largest collection dedicated to the Valencian painter, second only to the Sorolla Museum in Madrid and represents the artist’s symbolic return to his place of origin.
The loan will include oils, gouaches, drawings, sculptures, photographs and personal correspondence, offering a broad and intimate view of the life and work of the master of light. Among the standout pieces is Afternoon Sun (1903). The building, nearly 10,000 m2 in size, will be transformed into a large cultural centre incorporating permanent galleries, spaces for temporary exhibitions, a specialist shop and the Huntington Café. The project will also add a multisensory room dedicated to las Fallas, with an immersive experience available all year round.
The opening of the Sorolla Museum will strengthen Valencia as a first-class cultural destination in the Mediterranean. Initial estimates point to around 200,000 visitors a year and an economic impact of nearly 20 million euros, boosting cultural, tourism and commercial activity in the city centre and consolidating a cultural bridge between Valencia and New York.