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 (18 months 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. (18 months 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 (18 months 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 (19 months 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 (19 months 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.

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Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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