subject: Madrid : The City Of Museums [print this page] Madrid is the capital of Spain, and is home to the Spanish Royal family as well as the Spanish Government.People interested in art should feel at home in madrid where three of the best museums in Europe are located within a ten-minute walk of each other: El Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza have some of the most fantastic collections of famous Spanish painters like Velazquez, Goya.
El Prado
El Prado is properly the most famous museum in Spain. It contains more than 18,000 paintings, sculptures and other pieces of art. Among the most popular artist in the museum are Velazquez and Goya which both have their finest paintings exposed in El Prado.The building of the museum is a masterpiece in itself.
Reina Sofia
Reina Sofia is the second great museum in Madrid. It contains more modern art and has two large sections dedicated to Picasso and Miro. In Reina Sofia you can also find important works of Dali, Juan Gris and Pablo Gargallo. Entrance to this museum costs 3 Euros. The museum is open from Monday to Saturday between the hours of 10am-9pm. The museum closes early on Sundays at 2.30pm.
Thyssen-Bornemisza
The Thyssen-Bornemisa Museum is one of the biggest museums in Madrid. This art museum in Madrid covers the history of art beginning with a vast collection of medieval Christian art as well as works of art by more modern contemporary Spanish artists. The museum contains more than 800 works of western art including important works of Rubens, Friedrich, Caravaggio and Dali.
Museo de la Fundacin Lzaro Galdiano
The Lzaro Galdiano Museum is actually one of the city's best art museums, showcasing works by many of Europe's Old Masters. A number of outstanding works of art are displayed throughout this aristocratic mansion, built in 1903 in Italian style.Its library contains over 20,000 books.
Cerralbo
The Cerralbo museum is located in the palace of the Marquis of Cerralbo and contains some important works of Zurbaran, Van Dyke and El Greco.
