Ralli Museum, Caesaria, Israel
This complex of 2 museums is one of the most beautiful and special places at the North of Israel.
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HOW TO ARRIVE TO RALLI MUSEUM - CAESARIA: You can arrive by car. There is a big parking situated in front of the museum. The parking is for free, same as the museum. 
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The first Ralli museum was built at 1993 as a part of a world project of Harry Recanati. It was created as the third museum in a roud, when such museums already established in Uruguay and Chile. After the completion of the first Caesaria complex, in Marbella (Spain) was established another new museum. Whole 4 first museums showed Latin-American art by living Artists. At 2007 the second Caesaria museum was opened to the public. It shows some classical art with mostly byblical scenes. The five Ralli Museums have been established in various countries and admission to all of them is free of charge. |
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One of the main principles of the Ralli museums is the "no commercial
activity" principle. This is the reason to the absence of bookshops,
bars and restaurants on it's teretory. The principle that Harry Recanati chosen is saying that everybody deserves to see the art, and the art belongs to everybody. There is a saying by Nicolas Poussin: "The purpose of art is delectation". It is written above the main entrance to the first museum. Henry and his wife are often wandering aroud the museums and manage them closeley. |
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There are even no booklets in the museum. The purpose is to enjoy art, not to study it, says the founder of the museum. The first museum shows a big variaty of Latino American artists. There are some known ones, such as Salvador Dali, and some less known. There is an addition of an archeological part at the first floor, and an additional place for temporary exchibitions. The museum has three levels and consists of large halls built around octagonal internal courtyards. The architects of the center were Uruyguyans Quintero and Casciani and adaptation of the Israely architect Shaul Skolnick. The general feeling you get is of flashes of color and happiness. As you wander around the sculptures and the paintings, you feel them, and understand them the way you do. There are no "correct" explanations in the museum. It's all about feelings. |
| The second (newer) museum is more strict. It was built by the architect of the first center Shaul Skolnick in a form taken from the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, including the Court of the 12 Lions, a remain of Islamic animal statues in Alhambra. In the middle of the entrance there are a few marble sculptures of main jewish - spanish leaders, such as Rambam, Shapinoza, Even Gvirol. There are some Anusim sculptures as well, such as Nostradamus and Miguel de Cervantes. Outside the Villa there is a memorial made of marble as well, for the people who |  |
Interesting, that the name of the museums came from the financial world of Henri Recanati, not from the art world. Ralli was the name of the London bank and a company that Harry purchased in partnership with Sir Issac Wolfson's groop when he desided to withdraw from the Discount Group (The family bussiness he inherited when he was young).
There are large signs in Hebrew, signed by Harry, near the main gate of the first museum, stating that some people make the unfortunate mistake of identifying the museum with the group that the media call the "Recanati family," but "I have had no connection with those people" or their enterprises since 1970.
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Museum Address: Address: Rotschild Blvd, P.O.B. 4855, Caesarea 38900 Tel: 04-6261013 Fax: 04-6261017 Opening Hours: Visits: 10:30-15:00 Open every day except Sundays and Wednesdays In January and February open Fridays and Saturdays only, same hours |
Additional photos can be found at the Photo Gallery section on the site.