Cave of Altamira, the “Sistine Chapel” of Quaternary Art in Spain

Cave of Altamira, the “Sistine Chapel” of Quaternary Art in Spain

It is impossible to talk about prehistoric art without naming the cave paintings of Altamira Cave, where we find the maximum representation of prehistoric art worldwide.

Prehistoric Art

Considered the “Sistine Chapel” of Quaternary art, the Cave of Altamira was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 and there you can see horses, bison, deer, etc. All painted by its inhabitants over 30,000 years ago.

The Cave of Altamira is located in Spain, 2 km from Santillana del Mar in Cantabria. A beautiful medieval town with cobbled streets, considered one of the prettiest villages of Spain and where visitors can easily travel to the medieval age.

Currently the Authentic Cave of Altamira, can not be visited, because in 2012, due to deterioration thereof, the access was restricted. Then, Beside the original Cave of Altamira was built the Altamira Museum and the New Cave, an accurate reproduction and detailed of the original.

However, today it is not impossible to visit the original Cave of Altamira, because since 2014, the board of the museum start a research program that includes experimental visits, where only one group a week, with five people accompanied by an expert guide of the museum, will be able to visit the Cave of Altamira.

Anyway, we are sure that whether you’re one of those five lucky visitors, or if you are visiting the New Cave, your imagination will travel back in time to understand how art was necessary in our lives. Let’s know the Cave of Altamira!