iReal Academia de Bellas Artes de San FernandoSol / Alcalá
Madrid in the Golden Age: Crucible of Destinies and Landing of Geniuses
Habsburg Madrid in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the court drew Velázquez, Cervantes, Lope de Vega and Vesalius to the heart of a global empire.
More in Madrid
Rubens painted Philip IV around 1628, and the Duke of Alba has lent that portrait from the Palacio de Liria. It's the face on the poster. The Academy adds its own 1656 portrait of his queen, Mariana of Austria, by Velázquez and his workshop.
About 70 pieces from more than 20 lenders, the Prado among them, cover Madrid after Philip II moved the court here in 1561: paintings, documents, coins, textiles and furniture. You walk through five sections, from the empire's trade routes and the city as a banking centre to its festivals and theatre, and an audiovisual piece closes the route. Almost everyone in it moved to Madrid to make a career, so anyone still flat-hunting here is following a 400-year-old script.
Entry is free until the room's 100-person limit is reached, and it stays open later than the museum: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, Sundays and holidays until 15:00. Free guided tours run Thursday to Sunday with registration. Backpacks aren't allowed in.
Look for
Rubens's Philip IV
Look for the king's portrait, painted by Rubens around 1628 and lent by the Fundación Casa de Alba from the Palacio de Liria; it is the image on the poster.
Velázquez's Mariana of Austria
The 1656 portrait of Philip IV's young queen, by Velázquez and his workshop, comes from the Academy's own collection.
The design for the Tarasca
From Madrid's notarial archive, a drawn design for the Tarasca, the dragon float carried through the city at Corpus Christi.
The map of court Madrid
Mancelli, Hollar and Janssonius's map of the Villa de Madrid, around 1656, lent by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional, shows the city the court had turned into a capital.
Good for
- Cheap Culture
- Nerding Out
- Out-Of-Town Guests
- Rainy Days
Skip if
You want a painting show: it's 70 mixed objects, from coins to furniture, about city life.
With kids
The room is accessible for pushchairs and reduced mobility, but large bags, backpacks and food aren't allowed inside.
Also at Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
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Image credits
9
- Madrid in the Golden Age: Crucible of Destinies and Landing of GeniusesCourtesy of Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
- Mauritshuis Thyssen-Bornemisza: Masterpieces from The HagueCourtesy of Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
- Kenny Scharf© Kenny Scharf. Courtesy of the artist
- Seba Calfuqueo. CautinCourtesy of Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San FernandoStanislav Kozlovskiy (Ctac), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Espacio Fundación TelefónicaLev (Flickr: _lev_), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Museo Thyssen-BornemiszaLuis García (Zaqarbal), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Museo NavalFernando, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Casa de AméricaCarlos Delgado (Kadellar), CC BY-SA 3.0