Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born in Malaga on October 25, 1881, in building number 15 on the quintessential Plaza de la Merced. His home, which is still preserved today, was converted in 1988 by the Malaga City Council into the Picasso Birthplace Museum Foundation. In it, you will find unique childhood treasures from the artist, some of his works and that of his father, and a library containing special documents regarding his life.

Outside in the Plaza de la Merced, you will see a statue of the artist on a park bench gazing towards the City centre. Picasso made Malaga his city, which he would always carry in his heart despite the situations that made him move away from her. Malaga, its traditions, its sea and its people can be seen reflected in numerous works by one of the most important painters of the 20th century. The same influence of his birthplace on the artist was also transpired inversely. The City proudly celebrates Picasso and generously supports the different exhibitions that take place around the world, such as the 'Picasso & Paper' exhibition currently on display at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Malaga is also proud of its 3,000 years of history and cultural influences from the different Mediterranean civilizations that have inhabited this coast. The City is not only the "Gateway to the Costa del Sol", but has become one of the main urban tourist destinations in Europe where you can enjoy the permanent and temporary collections found in more than 38 museums, including the Museum and Birthplace of Pablo Picasso, the Pompidou Centre in Malaga, the Collection of the Russian State Museum from Saint Petersburg, the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Contemporary Art Centre or the National Museum of Airports and Air Transport.

This Mediterranean city, with a metropolitan population of 1.1 million, is an economic leader in Andalusia, an important transportation centre, an internationally recognized Smart City and an innovative high-tech ecosystem called Malaga Valley.

As Picasso broke the model in the art world during his time, today in Malaga, digital artists at the Digital Content Hub are pushing the limits of virtual art. This 9,000 square meters facility, located by the sea, is home to major animation and production companies, offers training courses in video game design, and has a business incubator as well as an eSports arena. In addition to eSports, other industries such as tourism, real estate, medicine, and manufacturing are using virtual reality and 3D animation to improve their businesses.

The modern Malaga international airport has two runways, direct flights to 137 destinations in 37 different countries and receives more than 19 million passengers annually. Last year, 506,277 passengers arrived to Malaga on 296 cruise ships, while high-speed trains brought more than three million people the city.

Its hyper connectivity is essential to know the city, either for a few days or a longer stay. Those who visit the “Costa del Sol” capital will be able to learn first-hand how Pablo Picasso´s birthplace has become a “City of Museums,” in addition to learning about his main works and life by stopping by the Picasso Birthplace Museum Foundation and the Picasso Museum Malaga.

As the birthplace of the genius Pablo Picasso, Malaga is one of the best cities in Europe to visit, to work, to refresh, to invest and to live.