The Prado (Museo del Prado)

The primary national museum of Spanish art is the Prado Museum, or Museo Nacional del Prado, which is situated in the heart of Madrid. Based on the old Spanish royal collection, it is widely regarded as housing the best collection of Spanish art as well as one of the richest collections of European art in the whole world, extending from the 12th century to the early 20th century. It was established in 1819 as a museum devoted to sculpture and paintings, but it also has significant collections of other kinds of artwork. The Prado Museum, which is regarded as one of the best art museums in the world, is among the most popular destinations on the planet.

The collection's highlights include the several pieces by Francisco Goya, the one artist who is most widely represented, as well as those by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez. The majority of the excellent collection of Italian masterworks at the museum, which is today one of the largest outsides of Italy, was brought to Spain thanks to Velázquez and his sharp eye and sensibility. The collection presently includes many additional pieces of art and historical documents along with over 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Around 1,300 works were on show in the museum's main buildings as of 2012, while another 3,100 items were on temporary loan to other museums and government organizations. The remaining items were stored.

Detailed information:

• Founded: 1819
• The Prado Location: Madrid, Spain
• The Prado Annual Budget: USD 45.76 million
• The Prado Museum Annual Visitors: 2.89 million