Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to have one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and the single best collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works.

El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. The numerous works by Francisco Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, are some of the highlights of the collection.

The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to a large number of other works of art and historic documents.

The best-known work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velázquez. Velázquez and his keen eye and sensibility were also responsible for bringing much of the museum's fine collection of Italian masters to Spain, now the largest outside Italy.

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User Reviews

L G (2 years ago)
Simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!! Soo many masterpieces that you should really divide your visit in a couple of days, to be able to appreciate everything. Or at least start in the morning, when your mind is fresh and your body is energetic. If you don't have enough time you should grab the map provided by the museum and check where the most famous paintings are located. Definitely one of the best museums in the world.

Stephan W. (2 years ago)
You like Art? You need to go to the Prado. It's massive, you'll need a few hours. Free entry from 6pm till close. Line up early. We lined up at 6pm and had to wait for a good 45 min to get in. That was on a Monday night, can't imagine how long it would take on weekends.

Valery Shcherban (2 years ago)
The Prado Museum is the beauty of history. The building itself is already inspiring for beauty. It's a shame only that the central entrance is closed. And the main box office and entrance are located from the side. Truly masterpieces are presented there, the Spaniards in it are presented in all their glory. Velazquez, Goya. Special attention deserves Bosch Hall. At one time, the Spanish King Philip II loved this artist. And thanks to him, you can now enjoy his most famous paintings in one place. It is difficult to describe in words, you need to walk in the museum, look and study. And it definitely will take more than one day.

L B (2 years ago)
One of the best gallery in Madrid. You can find a lot of famous paintings there. Entrance is for free just two hours before closing. The line is very big but so fast. Highly recommended place. Its one of the must visit place in Madrid. Very cool and so atmospheric!

andy barnet (2 years ago)
One of the finest museums in the world. I loved seeing all the artworks. I went there with my sister and we enjoyed seeing everything they had. They also have lots of pretty sculptures. If you're in Spain you must see this place it's gorgeous. And in front of the museum they usually have artist selling original paintings. Which you're nice to look at 2 also. I recommend this place to anyone.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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