Not the Prado: Lesser known Madrid museums

Any guide to Madrid will tell you about visiting the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bournemisza. But in dutifully traipsing round these three, culture lovers may well be missing out on some of Madrid’s lesser known museums and galleries – well worth a visit for showing you Spanish art and culture outside of Goya and Picasso.

Museo Sorolla
C/ General Martínez Campos, 37 Nearest metro: Iglesia/Ruben Dario

Joaquin Sorolla was one of the most famous Spanish Impressionist painters of the early 20th century. Originally from Valencia, he later moved to this house in 1912. On his death in 1923 it was preserved in his memory, including the unfinished canvas he was painting shortly before his death. Even if you’ve never heard of Sorolla before, you’ll be enchanted by the works of the man some have dubbed ‘the master of light’.

CaixaForum
Paseo del Prado, 36 Nearest metro: Atocha

While wandering down the Paseo del Prado towards one of the more high-profile museums, you may wonder at the wall of shrubbery growing up one side of a building. This is the “vertical garden” of the Caixa Forum, a post-modernist art gallery sponsored by La Caixa Foundation. Only opened in 2007, this has already become a firm favourite, displaying work by contemporary artists, installations, retrospectives and cultural events. Entry is free, and it’s a great chance to see something more unusual.

La Casa Encendida
Ronda Valencia, 2 Nearest metro: Atocha/Lavapiés

Close to the Caixa Forum is another bank-sponsored cultural centre, La Casa Encendida. This place is much more than a gallery, however: contemporary exhibitions are displayed on the ground floor, but the space is also used for cultural events, debates, film screenings and radio shows. It’s also home to a library with wifi and numerous classes which almost anyone can sign up for. What’s more, its roof terrace offers some of the loveliest views of the city. Definitely worth a visit, and worth several more if you’re planning a longer stay in the city.

Museo Romantico
C/ San Mateo, 13 Nearest metro: Alonso Martinez/Tribunal

A ‘romantic museum’ might sound like just another of the erotic museums prevalent in all European cities, but you’d be wrong. You wouldn’t be alone though – the museum just reopened last year after an 8 year closure and rebranding to the ‘Museo del Romanticismo’. This comes closer to describing what it does – recreating the romanticism of the 19th century, not just by hanging pictures, but by recreating entire rooms with over 1400 items crammed into a small building on the edge of Chueca. Only 100 visitors are allowed in at a time, so make sure you’re one of them by getting down to this fantastically unique museum.

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
C/ Alcalá, 13 Nearest metro: Sol/Sevilla
If you know your Spanish artists, you’ll have heard of the Real Academia – this used to be the famous Madrid Academy of Art, which boasts alumni such as Picasso, Dalí, and even Goya as a former director. It has now been converted into a museum and gallery displaying works of hundreds of Spanish artists from the last few centuries. Where better to view Spanish art than in the place where its artists were educated?