Arts and Culture

Madrid offers a wide range of cultural and artistic activities. Its most outstanding referent is the so-called Triángulo del Arte which includes three museums, the Museo del Prado, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

The Museo del Prado is a referent and a must for art lovers from all over the world. It extends over several buildings of great historical value –the Villanueva building, the Casón del Buen Retiro- and a new building designed by Rafael Moneo, and in it visitors can view the best collection of Spanish paintings in the world, including Velázquez’s “Las Meninas” and Goya’s “Los fusilamientos del 3 de mayo”, two great works of art. It also includes several works from the Italian and Flemish schools.

The visit to the Thyssen-Bornemisza is a journey through seven centuries of the history of European painting, from its very beginning back in the thirteen century to the end of the twentieth century.

It hosts some of the most important works of post-impressionism, fauvism, the German expressionist movements, the avant-garde and post-war European and American paintings with works by famous painters such as Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Mondrian, Bacon or Lichtenstein.

The third vertex of the triangle is the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS), which has been recently enlarged – the works were directed by Jean Nouvel, the prestigious architect. It is there that the Guernica, by Pablo Ruiz Picasso, can be viewed but visitors may also enjoy the most outstanding works of contemporary art.

Then, there is another museum, the CaixaForum Madrid, in the old premises of the Central Eléctrica de Mediodía; this is an architectural icon of the city and it is placed right in the Paseo del Prado. It is a living space that displays ancient, modern and contemporary works of art that offers music and poetry, multimedia art, debates and social and educational activities.

Apart from museums, Madrid offers many theatres where visitors may enjoy amazing musical shows, cinemas and other places for all types of concerts.