Ateneu de Maó

The Scientific, literary and Artistic Athenaeum of Maó is a private institute founded in 1905 by a group of prominent Menorcan intellectuals that has been operating continuously since its foundation. The headquarters of the Athenaeum is a townhouse, typical of the XVIII and XIX centuries. Its art heritage consists of different sections: cartography of Menorca and the port of Maó, paintings and ceramics. It also houses a Natural History Museum. The contemporary collection is made up of works acquired by the Athenaeum by means of their Salon de Primavera painting prizes and from works from various exhibitions that have been curated in their gallery. The Athenaeum is the owner of the magazine 'Revista de Menorca', founded in 1888, a key publication for the island's cultural history. The Athenaeum has an archive for researchers and a library of books, ancient and modern, open to both researchers and the general public. The library contains a collection of books specialising in the island of Menorca.