Ayuntamiento de Aracena

North of the province of Huelva, in the heart of the Natural Park of Aracena and Picos de Aroche are Aracena, head of a party judicial district in which the Iberian pig is essential to understand the history and life of its people.

Aracena is a city of monuments must visit. The Cave of Wonders in the leading exponent of its tourism wealth, which is complemented by other medieval buildings, as his castle, and a human heritage and gastronomic legacy of centuries of work in the meadows that surround it.

This wealth inherent in the Iberian pig has also been one of the main attractions in a region that defines itself as the true birthplace of Iberian ham. The Museum of Ham, the Interpretation Center of the Iberian pig is a symbol of recognition of our industry to a city of great importance to the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena. 

 
The Iberian pig formed the economic base and food for many families in this land, which gave way to the Iberian culture of their descendants now enjoy. They said the great Lope de Vega in one of his verses:

Over the centuries, from the late nineteenth century, the family production led to the spread of materialism, cutting, drying and slaughterhouses throughout the past century. Today, with the introduction of new technologies has created a business based on the Iberian pork products with a capacity to place the highest quality in international markets.

The great expectation and reception was the first edition of the Fair Iberian ham and pork in 1996, marked the start of the project of the Museum of Ham Aracena. Thousands of people attended that first year to our city to enjoy the excellence of this product, which marked the start of an event that continues to grow each year. 

Since the City of Aracena, aware of developments in which the Iberian pig sector in recent times and in response to growing demand from domestic tourism was a different model to the rest of the museum, a center capable of interpretation serve as a reference and homage to the pig industry and all those anonymous men and women who started a business that has marked the life of an entire region. This museum should be a showcase of popular culture that the peoples of our treasured National Park, known by many despite the fame of Iberian ham.

El Museo del Jamón de Aracena is a central building in the city, built in the early 70s of last century to house a Museum that ultimately was never implemented. After being used as City Hall, the new Center on the Iberian pig aracenés has given to the utility that was built three decades earlier.

But the project needed funds to address the initiative. The refurbishment of the building and the provision of content, after the contest of ideas, was necessary to search for funding, with significant support from government, both state through the Provincial Directorate of the State Public Employment (INEM old) and the Autonomous Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Sport or the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, who through the GDR "Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche" has given the final push this project a reality today. The total budget amounted to just over 600,000 euros.

El Museo del Jamón not only conducts a detailed itinerary for everything concerning the Iberian pig, but it has also diversified its offer with two other services perfectly inscribed in the culture of the Iberian pig, which is transmitted in this center:
     - The shop, exhibition of Iberian pork products allows visitors to purchase hams and sausages first class
     - The inn, a restaurant that occupies a wing of the building offer an à la carte dishes in which the protagonist is ibérico.

  The Museum of Ham opened the 8 June 2005 by the Directors of Agriculture of the Government of Andalusia and Extremadura, and since then has registered more than 3,000 visits. A tour of various rooms leads to places where Aracena and heritage are the protagonists, a space devoted exclusively to the meadow, the best example of respect between man and nature, we can also learn about the history of the pig different civilizations and the ritual slaughter, as both the craft industry, we invite all to enjoy the exquisite cuisine of Spain.

The bet has not been easy, but the Museo del Jamon de Aracena is able to achieve a series of objectives including:
     - Creation of a meeting of an industrial and tourism for further rapprochement between the two sectors.
     - Dissemination of the culture of the Iberian pig in the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche.
     - The exhibition and tasting of Iberian pork products.
     - The promotion of ibérico sector and, of course, tourism.
     - The creation of a tourist itinerary Aracena that the Cave of Wonders and other sites of interest to the museum.
     - The creation of seven direct jobs, with employment of young people from training courses funded by the Ministry of Employment and Technological Development. 


Since the City of Aracena advocates believe that the endogenous resources in rural areas is the main bulwark to ensure a more prosperous future for its people. The good results achieved during the first months of life of the Museum of Ham Aracena show that such initiatives can and should form a basis for sustainable development in a land where the Iberian pig marks the rhythm of life for much of its inhabitants.

You know, visit the Museo del Jamon de Aracena and insert fully into the range of tastes and smells of the derivatives of the Iberian pig, because we can assume (without being presumptuous) of the best ham in the world.