Arts and crafts in Cardiff

is in South Glamorgan. It has a population of around 346,000 and covers approximately 14,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Caerphilly, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, The Vale of Glamorgan

Cardiff (Caerdydd in Welsh) became the county town of the historic county of Glamorgan following the Act of Union between England and Wales in 1536 and was chosen to become the capital city of Wales (Cymru in Welsh) in 1955. Prior to this date Wales did not have an official capital, though a number of towns have laid claim to the title of being the ancient capital, including Machynlleth which in 1404 was seat of the Welsh Parliament of Owain Glyndwr. The city has many parks and open spaces, public art works including murals, statues and sculptures and is home to educational institutions including the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the universities of Cardiff, South Wales and Cardiff Metropolitan. The Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel are to the south of the city, which is close to the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, that attracts many tourists who come to enjoy the dramatic scenery, sandy beaches, picturesque villages and holiday resorts such as Porthcawl and Barry Island.

Among the well known buildings in Cardiff are the Millennium Stadium, Llandaff Cathedral, St Davids Hall, the Pierhead Building and what has been said to be the greatest number of castles to be found within any city in the world. The Senedd, or National Assembly building, is located in the waterfront Cardiff Bay, which is also home to the Wales Millennium Centre, an arts centre that hosts performing arts events such as theatre productions, concerts, ballet, opera and comedy, as well as housing organisations including the Arts Council of Wales. Other buildings in the area include Craft in the Bay, which has a gallery exhibiting handmade Welsh crafts, that can be purchased by visitors, and Roald Dahl Plass, a plaza that has served as a venue for open air events such as concerts and where some episodes of the television series Doctor Who and Torchwood were filmed. Public art works in Cardiff Bay include Cader Idris, From Pit to Port and 3 Ellipses for 3 Locks.

Located in the city centre, Cardiff Castle was built by the Normans during the late 11th century on the site of a Roman fort and in the 19th century the structure was renovated in medieval Gothic revival style. Visitors can walk the castle battlements and see the apartments, which are richly furnished and decorated with murals and stained glass. The castle became city property in 1947 and is used as a venue for a range of events including festivals and concerts, as well as hosting banquets where people can enjoy an evening of traditional Welsh food and music. Another popular attraction in Cardiff is St Fagans National History Museum, an open air collection of more than forty buildings brought from across Wales, dating back through the centuries. The museum helps to tell the story of Welsh architecture, history and culture and traditional crafts can be seen such as pottery, weaving, milling and a blacksmiths forge.

The National Museum Cardiff has collections including archaeology, natural history and one of the largest collections of fine art in Europe, housed since 2011 in the National Museum of Art, located in the same building. The extensive collection includes ceramics, sculpture, drawings and paintings from the past five hundred years from across the world. The museum has a globally important collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including work by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Renoir. Visitors can also see paintings by artists such as Honore Daumier, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne as well as work by Welsh artists including Richard Wilson, Thomas Jones and Sir Kyffin Williams. There are paintings from Renaissance Italy, the Netherlands and exhibitions of contemporary art. The museum also runs a range of events including exhibitions, talks, workshops and concerts.