Editing Tourism in Spain (section)

===Museums in Madrid===
{{See also|List of museums in Madrid}}
[[File:Museo del Prado 2016 (25185969599).jpg|thumb|[[Museo del Prado]]]]

Madrid is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is the ''[[Golden Triangle of Art]]'', located along the [[Paseo del Prado]] and comprising three museums. The most famous one is the [[Museo del Prado]], known for such highlights as [[Diego Velázquez]]'s ''[[Las Meninas]]'' and [[Francisco de Goya]]'s ''[[La maja vestida]]'' and ''[[La maja desnuda]]''. The other two museums are the [[Thyssen Bornemisza Museum]], established from a mixed private collection, and the [[Reina Sofia Museum]], where [[Pablo Picasso]]'s ''[[Guernica (painting)|Guernica]]'' hangs, returning to Spain from New York after more than two decades.

The [[Museo del Prado]] is a museum and art gallery that features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former [[Spanish Royal Collection]]. The collection currently comprises around 7,600 paintings, 1,000 sculptures, 4,800 prints and 8,200 drawings, in addition to a large number of works of art and historic documents. El Prado is one of the most visited museums in the world, and it is considered to be among the greatest museums of art. It has the best collection of paintings by Goya, Velázquez, [[El Greco]], [[Patinir]], [[José de Ribera]], and other Spanish artists, as well as major collections of [[Rubens]], [[Titian]], [[Hieronymus Bosch]], [[Rogier van der Weyden]], [[Raphael Sanzio|Raphael]], [[Tintoretto]], [[Paolo Veronese|Veronese]], [[Caravaggio]], [[Van Dyck]], [[Albrecht Dürer]], [[Claude Lorrain]], [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo|Murillo]] and [[Zurbarán]], among others.

[[File:MNCARS ampliación 10.jpg|thumb|left|[[Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía|Museo Reina Sofía]] (MNCARS).]]

The [[Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía]] (MNCARS) is the [[Spain]]'s national [[museum]] of 20th-century [[art]]. The museum is mainly dedicated to Spanish art. Highlights of the museum include excellent collections of Spain's greatest 20th-century masters, [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Salvador Dalí]], [[Joan Miró]], [[Juan Gris]] and [[Julio González (sculptor)|Julio González]]. Certainly the most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso's painting ''[[Guernica (painting)|Guernica]]''. The Reina Sofía also hosts a free-access library specializing in art, with a collection of over 100,000 books, over 3,500 sound recordings and almost 1,000 videos.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html |title=Museo Reina Sofía (MNCARS), official English webpage |publisher=Museoreinasofia.es |access-date=3 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101193754/http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html |archive-date=1 January 2013 }}</ref>

[[File:Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid) 04.jpg|thumb|[[Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum]]]]

The [[Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum]] is an art museum that fills the historical gaps in its counterparts' collections: in the Prado's case this includes Early Italian painting and works from the [[English art|English]], [[Dutch School (painting)|Dutch]] and German schools, while in the case of the Reina Sofia the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, once the second largest private collection in the world after the British [[Royal Collection]],<ref name="nyt-obit">Kandell, Jonathan (28 April 2002). [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/28/nyregion/baron-thyssen-bornemisza-industrialist-who-built-fabled-art-collection-dies-81.html?pagewanted=all "Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza, Industrialist Who Built Fabled Art Collection, Dies at 81"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved 7 August 2012.</ref> includes [[Impressionist]]s, [[Expressionist]]s, and European and American paintings from the second half of the 20th century, with over 1,600 paintings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/home |title=Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, official English webpage}}</ref>

The [[Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando|Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando]] currently functions as a museum and gallery that houses a fine art collection of paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries: [[Giovanni Bellini]], [[Correggio]], [[Rubens]], [[Zurbarán]], [[Bartolomé Esteban Murillo|Murillo]], [[Francisco Goya|Goya]], [[Juan Gris]], [[Pablo Serrano]]. The academy is also the headquarters of the Madrid Academy of Art. [[Francisco Goya]] was once one of the academy's directors, and, its alumni include [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Salvador Dalí]], [[Antonio López García]], [[Juan Luna]], and [[Fernando Botero]].<ref name="The Real Academia de Bellas Artes">{{cite web |url=http://www.gomadrid.com/museums/bellas-artes.html |title=The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando Museum, Madrid |publisher=Gomadrid.com |access-date=30 September 2013}}</ref><ref name="Fernando Botero: Artist and Art Historian">{{cite web |url=http://www.proquoabogados.com/botero-artist-and-art-historian-humanist-universalist/ |title= Fernando Botero: Artist and Art Historia}}</ref>
 
[[File:Madrid - Royal Palace of Madrid - 20171027163530.jpg|left|thumb|[[Royal Palace of Madrid#Royal Armory|Royal Armoury]], [[Royal Palace of Madrid]].]]
 	
The [[Royal Palace of Madrid]] is the official residence of [[Felipe VI of Spain]], but he uses it only for official acts. It is a baroque palace full of artworks and one of the largest European Royal Palaces, which is characterized by its luxurious rooms and its rich collections of armors and weapons, pharmaceutical, silverware, watches, paintings, tapestries and the most comprehensive collection of [[Antonio Stradivari|Stradivarius]] in the world<ref name=palacioreales>{{cite web|url=http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Palacios-Reales/Palacio-Real-de-Madrid.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515175414/http://www.patrimonionacional.es:80/Home/Palacios-reales/Palacio-real-de-madrid.aspx|archive-date=2014-05-15|title=Palacio Real de Madrid}}</ref>
[[File:Acceso al Museo Arqueológico.jpg|thumb|[[National Archaeological Museum of Spain]]]]
The [[National Archaeological Museum of Spain]] collection includes, among others, [[Prehistory|Pre-historic]], [[Celt]]ic, [[Iberians|Iberian]], [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] antiquities and [[Middle Ages|medieval]] ([[Visigoth]]ic, [[History of Islam|Muslim]] and Christian) objects. Highlights include a replica of the [[Altamira (cave)|Altamira]] cave (the first cave in which prehistoric cave paintings were discovered), [[Lady of Elche]] (an enigmatic polychrome stone bust), [[Lady of Baza]] (a famous example of Iberian sculpture), [[Biche of Balazote]] (an Iberian sculpture) and [[Treasure of Guarrazar]] (a treasure that represents the best surviving group of Early Medieval Christian votive offerings and the high point of Visigothic goldsmith's work).<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|author=Ignacio Sánchez Ramírez – info @ visionados. com |url=http://man.mcu.es/ |title=Museo Arqueológico Nacional &#124; Inicio |publisher=Man.mcu.es |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
The [[Museum of the Americas (Madrid)|Museum of the Americas]] is a national museum that holds artistic, archaeological and ethnographic collections from the whole [[Americas]], ranging from the [[Paleolithic]] period to the present day. The permanent exhibit is divided into five major thematical areas: an awareness of the Americas, the reality of the Americas, society, religion and communication.<ref name="museodeamerica1">{{cite web|url=http://museodeamerica.mcu.es |title=Museo de América |publisher=Museodeamerica.mcu.es |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
[[File:Palacio de las Artes e Industrias (Madrid) 01.jpg|thumb|[[Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales|National Museum of Natural Sciences]]]]
 
The [[Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales|National Museum of Natural Sciences]] is the [[National Museum]] of [[Natural history|Natural History]] of [[Spain]]. The research departments of the museum are: [[Biodiversity]] and [[Evolutionary Biology]], [[Evolutionary Ecology]], [[Paleobiology]], [[Vulcanology]] and [[Geology]].<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://www.mncn.csic.es/ |title=Portada |publisher=MNCN |date= 27 May 2011 |access-date=2 June 2011}}</ref>
	
The [[Naval Museum of Madrid|Naval Museum]] is managed by the Ministry of Defence. The Museum's mission is to acquire, preserve, investigate, report and display for study, education and contemplation, parts, sets and collections of historical, artistic, scientific and technical related to naval activity in order to disseminate the story sea of Spain; to help illustrate, highlight and preserve their traditions and promote national maritime awareness.
 	
[[File:Goya le sabbat des sorcières.jpg|thumb|upright|left|''[[Witches' Sabbath (Goya, 1798)|El Aquelarre]]'', Francisco de Goya. [[Museum of Lázaro Galdiano|Lázaro Galdiano Museum]].]]
 	
The [[Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales]] resides in the former palace of King [[Charles I of Spain]] and [[Isabel of Portugal]]. Their daughter, [[Joanna of Austria, Princess of Portugal|Joan of Austria]], founded this convent of nuns of the [[Poor Clare]] order in 1559. Throughout the remainder of the 16th century and into the 17th century, the convent attracted young widowed or spinster noblewomen. Each woman brought with her a dowry. The riches quickly piled up, and the convent became one of the richest convents in all of Europe. It has many works of Renaissance and Baroque art, including a recumbent Christ by Gaspar Becerra, a staircase whose paintings were painted by unknown author (perhaps Velázquez) and they are considered of the masterpieces of Spanish illusionist painting, and [[Brussels tapestry|Brussels tapestries]] inspired by paintings of Rubens.<ref name="patrimonionacional1">{{cite web |url=http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Monasterios-y-Conventos/Monasterio-de-las-Descalzas-Reales.aspx |title=Patrimonio Nacional – Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales |publisher=Patrimonionacional.es |access-date=14 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414211231/http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Monasterios-y-Conventos/Monasterio-de-las-Descalzas-Reales.aspx |archive-date=14 April 2011 }}</ref>
 	
The [[Museum of Lázaro Galdiano]] houses an encyclopedic collection specializing in decorative arts.
 	
Apart from paintings and sculptures it displays 10th-century Byzantine enamel; Arab and Byzantine ivory chests; Hellenistic, Roman, medieval, renaissance, baroque and romantic jewelry; [[Pisanello]] and [[Pompeo Leoni]] medals; Spanish and Italian ceramics; Italian and Arab clothes and a collection of weapons including the sword of Pope [[Innocent VIII]].<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|url=http://www.flg.es/museo/museo.htm |title=Fundación Lázaro Galdiano museum website |publisher=Flg.es |access-date=14 April 2011}}</ref>
	
The [[Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas]] (National Museum of Decorative Arts) is one of the oldest museums in the city. It illustrates the evolution of the called "minor arts" (furniture, ceramics and glass, textile, etc.). Its 60 rooms expones 15,000 objects, of the approximate 40,000 which it has.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mnartesdecorativas.mcu.es |title=Museo de Artes Decorativas |publisher=Mnartesdecorativas.mcu.es |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
The Museo Nacional del Romanticismo (National Museum of Romanticism) contains a large collection of artefacts and art, focusing on daily life and customs of the 19th century, with special attention to the aesthetics about Romanticism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://museoromanticismo.mcu.es |title=Museo del Romanticismo |publisher=Museoromanticismo.mcu.es |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
The Museo Cerralbo houses a private collection of ancient works of art, artifacts and other antiquities collected by Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, XVII Cerralbo Marquis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://museocerralbo.mcu.es |title=Museo Cerralbo |publisher=Museo Cerralbo |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
The [[Museo Nacional de Antropología (Madrid)|National Museum of Anthropology]] provides an overview of the different cultures in the world, with objects and human remains from around the world, highlighting a [[Guanches|Guanche]] mummy of the island of Tenerife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mnantropologia.mcu.es/ |title=Museo Nacional de Antropología |publisher=Mnantropologia.mcu.es |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Caixa forum (4518844736).jpg|thumb|[[Caixa Forum]] Madrid.]]
	
The Museo Sorolla is located in the building in which the Valencian Impressionist painter had his home and workshop. The collection includes, in addition to numerous works of [[Joaquín Sorolla]], a large number of objects that possessed the artist, including sculptures by [[Auguste Rodin]].<ref name="museosorolla1">{{cite web|url=http://museosorolla.mcu.es/ |title=Museo Sorolla |publisher=Museo Sorolla |access-date=1 June 2011}}</ref>
 	
[[CaixaForum Madrid]] is a post-modern art gallery in the centre of Madrid. It is sponsored by the Catalan-Balearic bank la Caixa and located next to the Salón del Prado. Although the CaixaForum is a modern building, it also exhibits retrospectives of artists from earlier time periods and has evolved into one of the most visited museums in Madrid. It was constructed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron from 2001 to 2007, which combined an old unused industrial building and hollowed it out at the base and inside and placed on top further floors which are encased with rusted steel. Next to it is an art installation of green plants growing on the wall of the neighbouring house by French botanist Patrick Blanc. The red of the top floors with the green of the wall next to it form a contrast. The green is in reflection of the neighbouring Royal Botanical Gardens.

Other art galleries and museums in Madrid include:
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Royal Palace of Madrid]]<ref name=palacioreales/>
* [[Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando|Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando]]<ref name="The Real Academia de Bellas Artes"/><ref name="karaart1">{{Cite web | url=http://www.proquoabogados.com/botero-artist-and-art-historian-humanist-universalist/ |title = Pro Quo Abogados: Servicios Jurídicos y Asesoría Empresarial}}</ref>
* [[National Archaeological Museum of Spain]]<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
* [[Museum of the Americas (Madrid)|Museum of the Americas]]<ref name="museodeamerica1"/>
* [[Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales|National Museum of Natural Sciences]]<ref name="autogenerated2"/>
* [[Liria Palace]]
* [[Museo Naval de Madrid|Naval Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.mde.es/ArmadaPortal/page/Portal/ArmadaEspannola/ciencia_museo/prefLang_es/ |title=INICIO MUSEO NAVAL MADRID – Museo Naval – Armada Española – Ministerio de Defensa – Gobierno de España |language=es |publisher=Armada.mde.es |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>
* [[Museo del Aire (Madrid)|Spanish Air Force Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museodelaire.com/ |title=de Madrid |language=es |publisher=Museo del Aire |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>
* [[Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales]]<ref name="patrimonionacional1"/>
* [[Museum of Lázaro Galdiano]]<ref name="autogenerated3"/>
* [[Royal Palace of El Pardo]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Palacios-Reales/Palacio-Real-de-El-Pardo.aspx |title=Patrimonio Nacional – Real Sitio de El Pardo |publisher=Patrimonionacional.es |access-date=3 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114021422/http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Palacios-Reales/Palacio-Real-de-El-Pardo.aspx |archive-date=14 January 2013 }}</ref>
* Railway Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museodelferrocarril.org/ |title=Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid Delicias – Fundación de los Ferrrocarriles Españoles |publisher=Museodelferrocarril.org |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>
* Museum Sorolla<ref name="museosorolla1"/>
* [[CaixaForum Madrid]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestroscentros/caixaforummadrid/caixaforummadrid_es.html |title=Caixaforum Madrid &#124; Nuestros centros &#124; Obra Social "la Caixa" |publisher=Obrasocial.lacaixa.es |date=1974-01-15 |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>
{{div col end}}