Discover the places of interest in Madrid that deviate from the usual touristic route, so…..
… if you have already spent a few hours of your time at the unmissable Prado Museum, or it is not your first visit to Madrid, leave the “obligatory” touristic circuits and go visit the other places of interest in the Spanish capital.
Where to go?
The most famous – and most touristic – Paseo del Arte certainly represents the spearhead of Spanish collecting. Madrid, however, offers many other lesser known places of art, nonetheless rich of suggestion. Indeed, part of their charm lies in the fact that you will find fewer tourists there than those who inevitably populate the main museums.
You can choose from the most contemporary forms of art and performance in the evocative “ships” of the Matadero, or let yourself be dazzled by the impressionist light of the Sorolla House-Museum. This visit is particularly recommended if you are in Madrid in the summer. Its splendid shaded garden is in fact a very pleasant place to rest a little.
Other “hidden” places that are increasingly entering the tourist circuits are the Church of San Antonio de los
Alemanes with its splendid painted dome and the suggestive Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales. This cloistered monastery is located in one of the most characteristic areas of the city centre called Madrid de los Austrias. Here you will find some beautiful works from the Spanish royal collections, including paintings by Titian, Brueghel and Rubens. If you are passionate about the seventeenth-century Dutch master, don’t miss the Martyrdom of San Andrés at the Amberes Foundation, where you can admire the painting collection without having to share the space with too many visitors.
The Spanish capital is a city rich in art and history, capable of satisfying fans of ancient, modern and contemporary art. Among the lesser known places of interest, I also have my favorite place: the frescoes by Goya at the Ermita of San Antonio de la Florida, a masterpiece of grace, light and modernity.