Museums in Madrid May 2nd, 2009
As the capital of Spain, Madrid has many different and intriguing aspects of the city appreciated by both locals and tourists. For tourists, this includes a large number of options available for entertainment, sight seeing, dining and other activities. Madrid is not only a vibrant and progressive contemporary city, it is rich in history and architecture as well. One of the easiest and also exciting ways to experience these many aspects of the city is to tour some of the museums. Tourists staying in the best Madrid hotels will have easy access to transportation and information on the many and thematically varied museums in the city.
The National Archeological Museum was founded in 1867 by issue of a royal decree by Isabella II. The original intention with the museum was to provide a depository for the great many archeological, numismatic, ethnographical and decorative art collections that had been collected through the years by Spanish monarchs. The neoclassical design of the building adds to the allure of what is to be found inside. The construction of the museum, designed by architect Francisco Jareno, took from 1866 to 1892. The current collect includes Greek and Roman pieces, as well as Celtic and Iberian objects. There is also an assortment of medieval Visigoth, Christian and Muslim items.
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofi is Spain’s national museum of 20th century art. The name is typically shortened and the museum is often referred to as Museo Reina Sofia (Queen Sophia Museum) or shorter even, The Sofia. The museum’s collection is primarily centered on the great Spanish artists of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. Picasso is internationally famous and recognized as one of the founders of Cubism. His painting that depicts the devastation caused by the German bombing of the city of Guernica is simply titled Guernica. It is one of the prized possessions of the museum. Dali is best known for his surrealist work, and his most famous painting is The Persistence of Memory.
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- Posted by Cliff
- Tagged Arts & Culture, Travel
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