Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando

What to expect

The academy was set up by royal decree in 1752 to train artists. About twenty years later Charles III bought a Madrid palace on Calle de Alcalá for it, and Diego de Villanueva rebuilt it in a neoclassical style. It is still an academy of fine arts and also a museum, a few minutes from Puerta del Sol.

The galleries show Spanish and European painting from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, which makes for a varied but manageable visit. Goya has a special place here, as he was linked to the academy, and there are works by Velázquez, Zurbarán, El Greco and Arcimboldo's Spring. It is an indoor visit of a couple of hours, calmer than the Prado.

Don't miss

• Goya's portraits
• Arcimboldo's Spring
• El Greco's Saint Jerome
• Works by Velázquez and Zurbarán
• Juan Gris's Fruit Bowl and Newspaper

Tips for your visit

• A good complement to the Prado if you want something smaller.
• It is steps from Puerta del Sol and the Círculo de Bellas Artes, so it fits a morning in the centre.
• Allow about one to two hours.