New exhibition displays Visigothic life in Madrid

The Museo Arqueológico y Paleontológico de la Comunidad de Madrid (MARPA) opened an exhibition in Alcalá de Henares to show the daily life of the region between the 5th and 8th centuries.

The display, titled Visigodos en Madrid, features artifacts from the period following the fall of the Roman Empire. The exhibition features more than 700 archaeological pieces gathered from 83 different sites across the Comunidad de Madrid. These items include jewelry, personal ornaments, agricultural tools, and ceramic objects.

These artifacts help people understand the work and social organization of farmers, artisans, and livestock breeders who lived in small rural villages and settlements. Visitors can walk through a full-scale reconstruction of a Visigothic church to see architectural features like horseshoe arches. The display also includes items from burial sites in Madrid capital, Fuenlabrada, and Getafe, some of which are appearing in public for the first time.

The exhibition uses restored materials and audiovisual resources to explain how these communities linked to major cities like Toledo and Recópolis. Archaeologists Manuel Castro Priego and Enrique Capdevila Montes organized the show with contributions from the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, the Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo, and the Museo de Guadalajara. The display focuses on the personal histories of the inhabitants of the Madrid territory during the Visigothic era.