Art & Design Trips to Madrid

One of the world’s most important museums since it opened in 1819, this massive collection is a testament to the centuries of devoted acquisition by the Spanish monarchy and the church. This neo-classical building, located on one of Madrid’s most attractive street in the “Art Triangle”, is home to more than 20,000 works of art of which only around 1300 can be displayed at any one time.

This fabulous collection of paintings is housed in the 19th century Palacio de Villahermosa in the “Art Triangle”, which was completely remodelled by Rafael Moneo specifically to be a home to nearly 800 paintings. Begun in 1920, the collection contains fine examples of Italian primitives and works from the English, Dutch and German schools.

Also, in the "Art Triangle" and formerly the San Carlos hospital, the Reina Sofia was remodelled in the 1980s, becoming the principle location in Madrid for national and international exhibitions. The permanent collection is almost exclusively of 20th century Spanish art, with works by many of the most important artists, including Picasso’s Guernica.

This small museum, which was originally the artist's house and was converted into a museum after the death of his widow. It mostly contains Sorolla’s and his family works and is a mixture of post-impressionist and Spanish school art. The house has been preserved in its original state; the ground floor preserved to give the visitor a feel of Sorolla’s life, while the upper floor has been converted into a gallery. 

Created in 1774, the Royal Academy of San Fernando is the oldest art institute in Madrid, doubling as a museum and gallery, it is also the headquarters of the Madrid Academy of Art. In addition to paintings of the Spanish school (Juan de Herera, Zurbaran, Goya, etc), it houses over 1,400 paintings, 600 sculptures and 15,000 drawings, as well as an excellent collection of decorative arts objects including tapestries, silverware, ceramics, porcelain, clocks, furniture and medals

Situated within the “Art Triangle” and one of the oldest museums in the city, the museum follows the example of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and was intended to be a place for the education of artisans, craftsmen, artists and connoisseurs of the industrial arts. It illustrates the evolution of industrial or "minor arts", mostly Spanish, including furniture, ceramics, glass, and textiles particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. The collection contains approximately 70,000 pieces in 62 exhibition room.

CaixaForum Madrid is located in a nineteenth century power station and was re-designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & Meuron in a contemporary and avant-garde way. Located in the "Art Triangle" it is a cultural space and architectural work of reference and is laid out in a large square in which a spectacular 24-meter-high vertical garden, the work of Patrick Blanc, where 15,000 plants of 250 different species are planted.  One of the city's great landmarks, this space opens its doors to old, modern, contemporary and multimedia art, debates and educational workshops.