The Santa Clara Museum has been converted into one of the most important cultural and tourist resources in the city. Along with the Holy Cathedral it is the monument most reflective of Murcia's history, from the Middle Ages to today. The Museum's ancient walls have been witness to successions of cultures and historical events throughout their nearly 1,000 years of existence. The building was built for a royal vocation, as a palace for the Muslim emirates in the 12 th and 13 th centuries, then became a fort for the Castilian monarchs and royal monastery for the Order of Saint Clare from 1365 until today. The palace was placed outside the city for leisure first, and secondly as a protective measure due to the important position of Murcia in the Al-Andalus political scene, not only as the capital of a large territory, but rather one of the most note – worthy cities of Europe.

12 th century palace
The Almoravid governors and the emir Ibn Mardanish (1247 – 1272) built the first palace of extraordinary dimensions which held living – rooms, porticoes, bathrooms and other connected buildings, as well as a patio with walkways in a cross on the central pavilion, or qubba. The fragments of toothing stone on a Moucharaby (muqarna) copula come from this period, as one of the oldest in Spain. In the archaeological excavations, painted support walls (skirting board) and remains have been found on the temple, from the palace's south room.

13 century palace
After the Almohad period, the previous palace was torn down to put up a new one, attributed to Emir Ibn Hud al-Muttawakil (1228 – 1238). This is the part which still remains partially intact today. The new palace was slightly smaller in size, but maintains a style of rich decorations in scalloped arches over the porticoes going into rooms in the alhanías, or bedrooms. The new patio keeps the cross theme, but incorporates a lengthwise pool, from the Nazarie patios.

Franciscan monastery
After the building was given to the Franciscan order transformations were made on the old building to tailor it to religious needs. The traditional architecture of St. Claire, despite the intense Baroque reformations, has miraculously preserved the high choir which was part of the primitive gothic church. The cupola's vaulted ribs are detailed, terrific dragons with intense eyes and jaws, and it is one of the few pictorial examples of this epoch. The late – gothic galleries constructed in the late 15 th century are also exquisite elements of the structure.

The “Section on Andalusian art and archaeology” was installed in the portico and north room of the hudí palace. “Tudmir's Room” exhibits representative trousseaus of the decorative styles in different periods: Emirates, Caliphs, Taifas, Berber and Mudejar dynasties. The room also contains funerary and commemorative tablets, maqabriyas with epigraphs and plant decorations and several marble Caliph and Almoravid capitals.

The “Room of Sharq al-Andalus” is representative of the luxury and ostentation of court life. Any of the pieces exhibited could have been part of the emir's trousseau. Some pieces that stand out are a bronze flask with an inscribed cartouche, a short sword, pieces of glass and bone, golden jewellery created in Nazarie workshops and monetary treasures. The architectural remains of Santa Clara and the Monteagudo Castle are of great interest: decorated baseboards, pieces of a ceiling support and wooden eaves, worked plaster pieces…

“Temple of Silence” is the name defining the holy art section located in the high choir and upper gallery of the monastery. Artworks from the Saint Claire nuns are exhibited, heritage of the church brought together through donations or as gifts of novices joining the convent. This gives visitors a great opportunity to understand how the life of the nuns was inside the cloister and the architectural transformations the building has undergone.

The conventual architecture of Saint Claire, despite the Baroque reforms, has miraculously preserved the high choir which was a part of the primitive gothic church. In addition to the cupola, pieces such as the altarpiece in Guadalupe and Saint Claire, created in 1590 by Jeronimo Ballesteros, are still in place.

In the convent's nave two great Works of the 16 th century are exhibited: the Saint John the Evangelist altar and the Predella of the Last Supper. We can also see saints from the Franciscan Order depicted: Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Bonaventure, Saint John of Capistrano and Saint Claire. Textiles and articles of gold and silver used in taking communion are also laid out in this room.

The majority of the small sculpted work was made as tribute to God, or as religious devotions or rituals. The collection of “Baby Jesus” and “Children of the Passion” from the 18 th and 19 th centuries is exquisite. We can also admire the Christ of the Royal Saint Clare, crafted in 1770 by Francisco Salzillo, together with works by Diego de Mora and Roque López. A series of pictorial works from the 17 th and 18 th centuries and the sculpture of Saint Catalina of Bologna complete the visit.

The restoration and evaluation of a monastery severely deteriorated over time has been a task performed over 30 years, with active collaboration by Murcia's City Hall. The museum's opening brings citizens and visitors closer to these historical – artistic treasures, hidden for so long behind the cloister's gates.