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The Best Museums
El Prado: The spectacular Prado is no mere museum, but a fully formed travel experience. It's worth a journey to Spain just to see it.
Museo Lázaro Galdiano: This rare collection demonstrates the evolution of enamel and ivory crafts from the Byzantine era to 19th-century Limoges. Of almost equal importance are displays of superb medieval gold and silver work along with Italian Renaissance jewelry. Reopened in 2003 after 18 months of renovations, the museum also contains galleries with rare paintings, everything from Flemish primitives to works by Spanish masters of the golden age, including El Greco, Murillo, and Zurbarán. The museum also has paintings from Goya's "Black Period" and works by the English and Italian masters Constable and Tiepolo.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: Madrid's acquisition of this treasure trove of art in the 1980s was one of the greatest coups in European art history. Amassed by a Central European collector beginning around 1920, and formerly displayed in Lugano, Switzerland, the 700 canvasses, with works by artists ranging from El Greco to Picasso, are arranged in chronological order. The collection rivals the legendary holdings of the queen of England herself.
Museo Cerralbo: This 19th-century mansion evokes the genuine aura of a sumptuous restoration residence. Formerly owned by the 17th marquis of Argüelles, it houses one of the most personal collections in Madrid. Works by Zurbarán and El Greco, especially the latter's Ecstasy of St. Francis of Assisi, are among its highlights, and the upper floor contains a unique collection of Western and Oriental armor and weapons.
Museo Sorolla: Visit the great Valencian artist's own house in the residential heart of the Spanish capital. Built in 1910 and bequeathed as a museum by his wife after his death, its trademark works are luminous Levante coast beach scenes, with women in white dresses backed by an azure Mediterranean sea. The museum was reopened in 2002 after a spell of tasteful refurbishment. See the artist's eccentrically furnished studio complete with a Turkish sofa on which he took his siesta.
Reina Sofia: Spain's number-one modern art exhibition. Regulars on show include Dalí, Tàpies, and Klein, and an ever-interesting series of temporary exhibits ranges from the anarchic to mainstream. The outside glass-walled elevator is popular with kids.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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