{"id":2817,"date":"2024-09-18T17:29:49","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T17:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4umadrid.com\/?p=2817"},"modified":"2026-08-29T19:45:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T17:45:58","slug":"el-prado-de-gabinete-de-ciencias-a-templo-del-arte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4umadrid.com\/en\/el-prado-de-gabinete-de-ciencias-a-templo-del-arte\/","title":{"rendered":"History of the Prado Museum: from cabinet of sciences to temple of art"},"content":{"rendered":"

The history of Prado Museum<\/a><\/strong> It is as interesting as the works it houses. Before becoming one of the world's most important art galleries, the building served as a science museum, a Napoleonic barracks, and even a source of lead for making bullets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article we review the history of the Prado Museum: how it was born, what anecdotes it has accumulated since 1819 and what are the two works that no one should miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From science cabinet to museum: the origin of the building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What we know today as the Prado Museum began as an ambitious project of Charles III, who in 1785 commissioned the architect Juan de Villanueva to build the Royal Cabinet of Natural Sciences. The idea was that it would form part of the so-called "hill of sciences," along with the Royal Astronomical Observatory and the Royal Botanical Garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, fate had other plans. Charles III died in 1788 without seeing his project completed, and years later, in 1808, Napoleonic troops invaded Madrid and used the building as a barracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During that occupation, the lead from the roofs was melted down to make bullets, and the timbers from the structure were used to make fires to warm the French soldiers. Consequently, the building was left practically in ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years later, with the arrival of Ferdinand VII, it was given a new purpose. At the insistence of his wife, Isabel of Braganza, a great lover of art, it was decided to finish the construction and turn it into the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures, which opened its doors in 1819.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it wasn't a museum accessible to everyone. In its early years, it could only be visited one day a week and with special permission from a member of the court. It wasn't until the revolution of 1868 that it became the property of all Spaniards, under the name of the National Museum of Paintings. It finally adopted its current name due to its location in the former Prado de los Jer\u00f3nimos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 interesting facts about the history of the Prado Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n