León

Why it matters: Francisco Fernandez Blanco de Sierra-Pambley, born in Villablino in 1827 into a family of means, chose to spend his inheritance founding free schools for the poorest children of Leon and Zamora – five of them between 1887 and 1903, at Villablino, Hospital de Orbigo, Villameca, Moreruela de Tabara and Leon itself – and the foundation carrying his name is still educating more than 125 years later. Opened in 2006 in his 19th-century mansion directly on the cathedral square, the museum is two visits in one: the intact home of a wealthy but unusually progressive Leonese family, and the story of the schools and the krausist teaching reform behind them. Around 3,000 original 19th-century pieces are on display, from the family’s rooms to the material of the classrooms. Practical tip: it is steps from the cathedral so pair the two, and book the guided visit on 987 276 775 – that is where the school story actually comes alive.