The quality and variety of its collection, which includes many of the greatest works of El Greco, Ribera, Murillo, Goya, Titian and Rubens, make the Prado Museum one of the richest museums in the world. The wife of Ferdinand VII, Isabel of Braganza was the inspiration for the founding of the museum according to the plaque on the statue of her, done by Alvarez Cubero. It was inaugurated as a Royal Museum in 1819.

In 1870 the collection from the Museum of La Trinidad was incorporated into the Prado. The museum had been created to safeguard the works of art affected by the dissolution of the monasteries. Subsequent acqisitions and donations further swelled the collection.

The Villanueva building of the Prado contains the most comprehensive collection of 11th-18th century Spanish paintings in the world. Romanesque painting is represented by the frescoes of San Baudelio of Berlanga (Soria) and by those of Santa Cruz of Sergovia. Gothic art is represented by the Altarpiece of the Virgin by Nicholas Frances and the Renaissance is represented by Saint Catherine by Yanez de la Almedina.

The Prado also has a collection of 35 works by El Greco, some of which show the influence of Michelangelo and 51 works by Velazquez who was one of Spain's masters.

Here you will also see 150 canvas works by Goya along with more than 450 of his drawings.

Some of the best works in the museum are those of the Flemish School of which the highlight has to be The Three Graces by Rubens which stands with 70 other pieces of his work. There are also more than 600 items from Italian painters.

The Crown Prince's Treasure which Prince Philip V inherited contains elaborate carved glasses, tableware, jewellery and pieces of furniture and is a noteable part of the Prado's collection of Decorative Arts.

It is impossible to see the Prado at its best within the space of a day so several visits may be on the agenda.