Barcelona museum throws open its doors to nudist visitors

Barcelona: A Barcelona museum opened its doors to nudists on Saturday, holding a special tour during which visitors could ditch their clothes.

The Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia held the 90-minute tour in collaboration with the Catalan Naturism Club.

Visitors viewed the Bronzes of Riace exhibition of Luigi Spina's photographs depicting two large Greek bronze statues of naked warriors from the 5th century BC that were discovered in 1972 near Riace, Italy.

"We wanted to make it a more colourful visit and not the typical guided tour," said guide Edgar Mestre, who also went clothes-free. "We wanted people who came to see it to feel exactly the same as the work they were looking at".

The museum's website promised visitors the chance to "admire the works by posing in the same situation as they are, completely naked and surrounded by other bodies".

"(I feel) the same intensity as observing it with clothes on, but with the difference that we might understand better that nudity has always existed and bodies should not be a source of shame for anyone," said health worker Marta, 59, who was visiting the exhibition.