The Sitges Heritage Consortium will launch a virtual recreation of the Golden Hall of the Maricel Palace this Sunday, as part of International Museum Day.

This Sunday, as part of International Museum Day, the Sitges Heritage Consortium is presenting an experimental virtual recreation of the Golden Hall of the Maricel Palace, accessible via QR codes in three languages ​​(Catalan, Spanish, and English). This initiative, developed in collaboration with the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, recreates the Maricel Palace during the years of Charles Deering.

The project combines historical research, photographic documentation, and digital technology to virtually reconstruct the original appearance of the Golden Hall between 1915 and 1918, the period of greatest splendor for the Maricel Palace. Using mobile devices, visitors can view various works of art, sculptures, altarpieces, and pieces of furniture that were once part of Charles Deering's collection and are now dispersed among museums and international collections.

The digital recreation was developed using 360° panoramic images, historical documentation, and period photographs. The work has included the virtual removal of elements added after Deering's time, the reconstruction of original textures, and the digital restitution of pieces that disappeared or were moved after the dissolution of the Maricel project in 1921.

Among the recreated works are pieces by Francisco de Goya, Francisco de Zurbarán, Juan de Pareja, Martín de Soria, Pedro García de Benavarri, and the Els Vergós workshop, as well as unique elements such as the monumental Gothic fireplace from Jaca, the Renaissance benches fom Alella, and sculptures by Josep Clarà.

The initiative allows these works to be recontextualized within the space for which they were conceived and recovers the museographic narrative promoted by Charles Deering and Miquel Utrillo at the beginning of the 20th century. The project also highlights the international importance of the Deering collection, considered one of the great private collections of Hispanic art of its time.

Currently, the virtual recreation functions as an interactive prototype developed with the Panoee platform and includes information panels in three languages. The tour consists of three interconnected panoramic views and lays the groundwork for future developments in the field of digital reality applied to cultural heritage.

Historical Context

Charles Deering (1852-1927), an American businessman and patron of the arts, arrived in Sitges in 1909 with Ramon Casas and Miquel Utrillo. Fascinated by Mediterranean heritage and Hispanic art, he spearheaded the transformation of the Maricel estate into a grand artistic and collecting residence.

Between 1910 and 1921, the Maricel Palace amassed an extraordinary collection of Catalan Gothic paintings, sculptures, Renaissance and Baroque furniture, decorative arts, and Spanish paintings from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The Golden Hall became the main representative space of the estate, conceived as an idealized synthesis of the Hispanic artistic past.

After Deering's departure in 1921, the collection was dispersed among the United States, Europe, and various private collections. Virtual recreation allows, for the first time, the digital reconstruction of this heritage site and the symbolic return of the works to their original location.

 

Works Recreated in the Golden Hall of the Palau de Maricel

The virtual recreation includes, among others, the following works:

● Francisco de Goya, Truth, Time and History (National Museum, Stockholm)

● Vergós Workshop, Saint Lucy (The Art Institute of Chicago)

● Vergós Workshop, Saint Agatha (The Art Institute of Chicago)

● Francisco de Zurbarán, Saint Romanos of Antioch and Saint Barulas (The Art Institute of Chicago)

● Martín de Soria, Two Tables Dedicated to Saint Christopher (The Art Institute of Chicago)

● Antonio Palomino, Our Lady Giving the Rosary to Saint Dominic (Seattle Art Museum)

● Josep Clarà, The Smile (Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami)

● Pedro García de Benabarre, Altarpiece of Saint Anne (María Cristina Masaveu Foundation) Peterson)

● Gothic fireplace from Jaca (Pedralbes Palace, Barcelona)

● Renaissance benches from Alella (Tamarit, Altafulla)

Several pieces that are now lost or of unknown whereabouts have also been digitally recreated, such as historicist furniture, gold and silver sculptures, and decorative objects linked to the Deering collection.

More information about the artists and the recreated works

The virtual recreation of the Golden Hall incorporates a selection of works that were part of the historical decoration of the Palau de Maricel during Charles Deering's time there. The pieces currently come from museums, private collections, and international institutions, while others have disappeared or their location is unknown. The digital reconstruction was based on historical photographic documentation, inventories, and research studies.

1. Francisco de Goya y Lucientes

Truth, Time, and History

Between 1804 and 1808

Oil on canvas

An allegory linked to the idea of ​​the revelation of truth through time and history. The work was part of Charles Deering's collection after the 1913 Exhibition of Spanish Paintings and later passed into North American collections before entering the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.

Current location: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (Sweden).

2. Unknown artist

Gothic fireplace from Jaca

15th century

Cut stone

Originally from the Hago Palace-House in Jaca. Charles Deering acquired it in 1913, and it became one of the central elements of the Golden Hall. It features heraldic decoration with sculpted shields and lions.

Current location: Library of the Pedralbes Palace, Barcelona.

3. Vergós Workshop

Saint Lucy

Circa 1500

Oil and gold on panel

From the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bellulla (Canovelles). It was part of the Deering Collection from 1915.

Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago.

4. Vergós Workshop

Saint Agatha

Circa 1500

Oil and gold on panel

Complementary piece to Saint Lucy, also part of the Deering Collection and later given to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago.

5. Unknown authorship

Set of two benches from Alella

16th century

Carved and polychromed wood

Catalan Renaissance benches acquired in 1914 by Charles Deering through Salvador Babra. They were originally displayed in the Salón de Oro and later moved to Tamarit.

Current location: Tamarit Castle and Church (Altafulla).

6. Unknown authorship

Set of three armchairs in the style of Charles II

Late 17th century

Cut and gilded wood with red velvet

Historicist set acquired to decorate the interiors of the Palau de Maricel. According to the Utrillo collection, the pieces were purchased around July 1919.

Current location: unknown.

7. Antonio Palomino de Castro y Velasco

The Virgin Mary Giving the Rosary to Saint Dominic

Circa 1679–1688

Oil on canvas

Baroque painting linked to the Madrid workshop of Claudio Coello. Deering added it to his collection, and it later passed through various religious institutions in Miami before entering the Seattle Art Museum.

Current location: Seattle Art Museum, Seattle.

8. Martín de Soria

Saint Christopher Taking Leave of the King Who Feared Satan / Saint Christopher and His Converts

1480–1485

Tempera and oil enamels on a table

Gothic table, probably from the Monastery of Piedra. It was part of a group dedicated to the life of Saint Christopher.

Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago.

9. Martín de Soria

Saint Christopher Encounters Satan / Saint Christopher Before the King of Lycia

1480–1485

Tempera and oil enamels on a table

Second table from the group dedicated to Saint Christopher, also part of the Deering Collection and later given to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago.

10. Josep Clarà i Ayats

The Smile (Portrait of the dancer Isabel Rodríguez)

Circa 1914

Marble bust

Sculptural portrait of Isabel Rodríguez, created in Paris before the dancer moved to New York. It is one of the few modern works present in the historicist ensemble of Maricel.

Current location: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami.

11. Francisco de Zurbarán

Saint Romanos of Antioch and Saint Barulas

1638

Oil on canvas

Large canvas from the Church of San Román in Seville. It occupied a prominent place in the Salón de Oro (Golden Room) and is one of the most important pieces in the Deering Collection.

Current location: The Art Institute of Chicago.

12. Attributed to Juan de Pareja

The Last Communion of Mary Magdalene

17th century

Oil on canvas

Religious scene associated with the circle of Velázquez. Documentation indicates that Deering owned at least two works attributed to Juan de Pareja. The piece was auctioned in Madrid in 1990.

Current location: unknown.

13. Pere García de Benavarri

Altarpiece of Saint Anne

15th century

Tempera on panel

Catalan Gothic altarpiece dedicated to Saint Anne, with various scenes from her life and iconography related to the childhood of Mary.

Current location: María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation, Madrid.

14. Unknown authorship

Saint Telmo

18th century

Repoussé silver

Goldsmithing sculpture, photographically documented in the Saló d'Or and incorporated into the virtual recreation.

Current location: unknown.

15. Unknown authorship

Chinese sacrificial urn in the shape of a doe

Bronze

Date unknown

Oriental decorative piece, integrated into the eclectic style of the Deering collection.

Current location: unknown.

Other elements digitally recreated or reinterpreted

In addition to the identified works, the virtual recreation has included the restoration of architectural and decorative elements that disappeared or were modified after the Charles Deering era:

● original hydraulic tiles from the Saló d'Or;

● ceramic wainscoting by Enrique Luis Ventosa;

● Historic wall and ceiling textures;

● Original arrangement of the artworks based on period photographs;

● Historic lighting prior to later renovations;

● Virtual removal of doors, stained glass windows, and museum elements added after 1921.

The recreation allows for the visual reconstruction of one of Catalonia's most unique historicist interiors from the early 20th century and recovers the Deering Collection's heritage narrative within its original context.