The Prado Museum was founded by Isabella of Bragana, wife of Ferdinand VII. In 1819 it was housed in the present building as the Royal Museum. It exhibits paintings of the Spanish, Italian, Netherlandish, Flemish and German schools.
The museum and its branches
But to get a full idea of its collections, it is necessary to get acquainted not only with the exposition in the central building (paintings from the Middle Ages to the 18th century), but also by visiting the Villahermosa Palace, which houses a fine collection from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection (paintings from the 12th to the 20th centuries), and the Cason del Buen Retiro, a branch of the museum located on Via Filipe IV (19th-century Spanish paintings and sculpture, as well as works by some English and French painters).
Prado Museum Collection
The Prado has the richest collection of works of art, many of which are among the original masterpieces. The museum houses works by such famous Spanish masters as Berruguete, El Greco, Ribera, Zurbarán, Murillo, exceptional in their completeness and quality collections of paintings by Velázquez (including The Surrender of Breda, The Meninas, The Buccaneers, numerous portraits of King Philip IV and members of his family, a series of portraits of royal jesters, and many others) and Goya (among them The Family of King Charles IV, The Naked Maha, The Dressed Maha, The Shooting on the Night of 2 to 3 May 1808, and a number of magnificent portraits). The Dutch school is represented by the work of such brilliant painters as Rogier van der Weyden, Bosch, Memling and Bruegel. Among the German masters we should first of all name Dürer. The collection of Italian paintings is exceptionally rich - Fra Angelico and Botticelli, Raphael and Titian, Giorgione, Veronese and Tintoretto. In addition to paintings, you will find collections of ancient coins, porcelain and jewellery.
On a side note
- Location: Calle Ruiz de Alarcón, 23, Madrid.
- Nearest metro stations: "Anton Martin", "Banco de España", "Atocha".
- Official website: https://www.museodelprado.es/
- Opening hours: daily, Mon-Sat - from 10.00 to 20.00, on Sundays and public holidays - from 10.00 to 19.00. On 6 January, 24 and 31 December the museum is open from 10.00 to 14.00. The museum is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
- Tickets: adults - 14 euros, pensioners - 7 euros, children under 18 and students under 25 - free of charge. Free admission to the museum from Monday to Saturday from 18.00 to 20.00, on Sunday and public holidays from 17.00 to 19.00. At the same time, the cost of temporary exhibitions is reduced by 50%.
