Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Universal Art in Madrid

Together with the Reina Sofía Museum, the Prado, and CaixaForum Madrid, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is one of the most important art and cultural centers in the capital. It is a must-see for everyone who visits Madrid and art lovers, as it brings together innumerable masterpieces from the greatest painters of all times such as Dürer, Rafael, Tiziano, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Kandinsky, Picasso, Hopper y Rothko, among many others.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is housed inside the Palace of Villahermosa, a magnificent mansion built in the 18th century, located on the corner of Paseo del Prado and Carrera de San Jerónimo. It has been inextricably linked to the city’s arts and culture scene since its very beginnings.

The renowned architect Rafael Moneo was charged with the task of remodeling the Palace of Villahermosa. The renovation works were completed in 1992, which was when the works of art were brought from Villa Favorita in Lugano—the Swiss city where they were found—to Madrid, for the museum’s inauguration in October that same year.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza collection is one of the world’s most important private art collections amassed in the 20th century. Most of the pieces were acquired by the barons Heinrich (1875-1947) and his son Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921-2002). Although the collection of paintings on display at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum was privately owned before, it now belongs to all Spanish citizens, after the State acquired the collection in 1993.

Since 2004, a significant part of the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, with more than 200 outstanding works, has further added to the museum’s permanent collection. These works have been lent by the Baroness to the museum free of charge.

The magnificence of the collection makes a great impression on all visitors to the museum, giving them the opportunity to admire works by the great masters from the 18th and 19th centuries until the last decades of the 20th century.

What’s more, it’s possible to enjoy marvelous temporary exhibitions, educational programs and different cultural and commercial activities at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum—an essential part of Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art.

A pleasant 20-minute stroll through the historical monuments of Madrid is all that separates Eric Vökel Atocha Suitesdesigner apartments and suites from the Thyssen- Bornemisza Museum, along the Paseo del Prado.

And if you stay at the Eric Vökel Madrid Suites at San Bernardo, 61, right in the Malasaña neighborhood, it will only take you 24 minutes on foot or 15 minutes by public transport to get to enjoy one of the world’s most important painting collections.