Adam and Eve by Albrecht Dürer; Prado Museum in Madrid
Hardly anyone knows that the Prado Museum was created by chance , without really wanting to create it. Ferdinand VII, unfortunate king in so many things, he had the whim of modernizing the Royal Palace and doing without the hundreds of old canvases of Velazquez, El Greco, Bosch, Rubens and so many other geniuses of Spanish painting and the rest of Europe that their predecessors had accumulated and that filled the halls, corridors and stairways of the royal residence. Determined to lose sight of so much historical weight, that he should overwhelm and depress his weak character, he did not hesitate to use the building constructed by Juan de Villanueva in the Prado Hall as a real furniture repository or storage room; in this case, 'paint guard'
There are thousands of possibilities in this museum that in 2007 expanded its facilities through the work of the architect rafael moneo . This extension allowed, among other issues, to transfer the works that were in the Casón del Buen Retiro to the Parque del Retiro. In this new area, have been added extra facilities such as a coffee shop, an auditorium and a shop.
The call Money Cube houses inside the cloister of the monastery of San Jerónimo el Real, commonly known as The Jeronimos . The process was as follows: in the latest expansion of the Prado Museum, the land occupied by the battered cloister was taken to create a new building, the work of rafael moneo . In order not to completely 'disrupt' the area, the cloister was added to the top floor of the cube, creating a new space that merges the museum with the cloister. It's that simple.
The works are countless and the routes are infinite , and could be more taking into account that of their funds, only a minimal part is exposed; the rest of the works either remain stored in the museum itself, or form part of the "scattered meadow" distributed by various national institutions.
The Terrace of the Prado Museum
The environment of the Prado cried out that twenty tables, sheltered by umbrellas, on its north facade (between the Puertas de Goya and the Puerta de los Jerónimos) that attracted followers until the heat of 2012 left.
A secluded sun that does not require a ticket to access the museum to enjoy a moment of peace. While you are debating between the permanent collection or the temporary exhibition, you can try one menu with decent options to enjoy a light meal or a snack for those who are growing.
Map: See map
Address: Paseo del Prado s/n, 28014 See map
Telephone: 91 330 2800
Price: General: €10; General + official guide copy: €19.50; Reduced: €5
Schedule: Tue-Sun 9.00am - 08.00pm; Closed: every Monday (including holidays) and on December 25, January 1, Good Friday and May 1.
Guy: Museums and art galleries
Official Web: Go to the web
Twitter: @Prado Museum
Facebook: go to facebook