Plaza Botero & Museo de Antioquia

Plaza Botero / Museo de Antioquia

Twenty-three bronze 'plump' sculptures donated by Botero stand in the open air in the city center. The adjacent museum holds many paintings by this son of Medellín.

Plaza Botero sits in the center of Medellín and is named after Fernando Botero (1932 to 2023), Colombia's most famous artist, who was born in Medellín. Botero is known for his exaggerated, voluminous figures. In 2000, he donated 23 large bronze sculptures to his hometown. They are displayed free of charge across the roughly 7,000-square-meter plaza: a portly Roman soldier, a Venus holding a mirror, a fat cat, a fat horse, Adam and Eve, and more. Visitors can get close to each piece, take photos, and touch them (rubbing certain parts is said to bring good luck). On the north side is the Museo de Antioquia, Colombia's second-oldest museum. It is housed in a former city hall in the Art Deco style. On the second floor, more than 100 works donated by Botero are on display, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Highlights include 'The Death of Pablo Escobar,' which depicts the killing of Pablo Escobar, along with works by European and American artists that Botero collected. The museum also houses colonial art and modern and contemporary Colombian art. Admission for foreigners is about 30,000 pesos. On the west side of the square, the Rafael Uribe Uribe Cultural Palace is a striking black-and-white Gothic Revival building, with exhibitions and a library inside. Getting there: Parque Berrío station on Metro Line A is a 3-minute walk. The surrounding area is crowded, with many vendors and homeless people, so watch out for pickpockets and avoid displaying your phone or camera for long. You can also visit nearby Parque Berrío and the old Candelaria Church.

Opening hours

Square open all day; museum Mon–Sat 10:00–17:30, Sun 10:00–16:30

Botero · Sculpture · Museum · City center

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby

More in Medellín