The Lady and The Unicorn

The Ralli Museum in Caesarea complies with all the clichés about “the treasure that lies right under our own nose”  located in the the most beautiful area of Israel “Hof Carmel”, with a large entrance sign proclaiming that “the Purpose of art is Enjoyment” and free entry and parking for the benefit of the audience.The two museums are based on 700 square meters in the heart of a landscaped sculpture garden opposite the sleepy commercial center of the Caesarea neighborhood. With beautiful palm trees surrounding and huge free parking plus free entrance. Both Museums are dedicated to art originating in South America and the art of expelling Jews from Spain and Portugal and the Salonika Jewish community.The Foundation establishes 5 museums around the world: in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in Santiago de Chile,   in Marbella, Spain. and 2 in Caesarea in Israel, the museums surrounding area in Israel includes a memorial site for Spanish Jewry, an oblique for the memorial of Italian Jews during the Holocaust and a sculpture garden to honor those who establish Israel. All Ralli Museums are supported by the Foundation only and provide free entry to their visitors. The first museum building has several levels, the first floor containing one of the most important Latin American contemporary art collections in the world. An internal level of Hellenistic art, a collection of ancient coins and cross sections of ancient Caesarea during the Roman period, the children were very fascinated by this part trying to pretend how the places they are familiar with used to look in ancient times.On the top floor, a collection of sculptures by the artist Salvador Dali, I travel the world around my favorite art, Took a plane to Barcelona and another two hours’ train drive to Figueres. to see the collection of sculptures and jewelry of my favorite painter, And I never had the slightest idea that all those treasures that I loved so much are only 15 minutes’ drive from my home.My older boy pretended to be too cool for a museum, and things that mommy loves are not cool enough. So, I called him secretly at the statue of the unicorn to ask him what is the drop at the end of the Unicorn horn is made of? I asked him not to tell his young sister that the drop is blood as he is the only one big enough to know that, I got his attention for sureI know that I could tell facts of Art history, but I’m just like the kids, can remember stories, and the fact that Dali has a really funny mustache and his house is full of huge eggs looks like enormous empathy Dumpty on the edge of the wall in Spain and the luxurious private car that he planted in the center of the house above the place where he buried his wife In the yard, those are fascinating tales that are much easier to remember and tell like a richly detailed telenovela story.The second Building museum is called “The Memory of Spain” The Grand Court is inspired by the Palacio de Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the fountain at the entrance is called after Christopher Columbus, and marble statues of the most prominent Jews of Spain are located in the entrance. On the lower floor, there are huge paintings of the expulsion of Spain, Nostradamus Columbus Don Quixote and the Catholic kings Isabel and Fernando are beautifully displayed.On the upper floors are temporary exhibitions, I have been privileged to see the Pissarro family painting generations. The current exhibition is an organization that supports Israeli artists that I hope to see soon, as it was still under construction when I arrived.

the museum location is Google Map is here 

Museum visiting hours:
Sunday and Wednesday – closed
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday – 10:30 – 17:00
Friday – 10:30 – 15:00
Holiday eves – 10:30 – 12:30

In January and February the museums will be open only on:
Friday 10: 30 – 15:00
Saturday 10:30 – 17:00

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)