Friday we left Seville for Madrid for a 3-day weekend.  Seville is a nice, relatively small city. Madrid on the other hand is very large and magnificent. Magnifico as they say. With a population of 3.4 million and a metropolitan area population of 6.7 million it is the second biggest city in the European Union (EU) by its administrative limits. Only Berlin is larger.  Measured by area it is also the second largest in the EU with only Paris being larger. 

Madrid is stunningly beautiful with its Gothic and Spanish Renaissance architecture. It is the capital of Spain and there is a plethora of art museums to visit, including the world famous Prado Museo (Museum). We visited that museum as well as the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum which features one of the largest private collections in the world. It is chock full of works by Manet, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, Joan Miro, Kandinsky, Rodin, Goya and el Greco to name a few. 

We also visited the Reina Sofia which featured more modern art, especially Picasso’s famous Guernica which dates from 1937. After the city was bombed, Picasso worked feverishly to produce the huge paining—its size is 11.5 x 25.5 feet—in three weeks. It remains one of his most famous works. 

Madrid is a large and important city that easily fits into the league that includes London, Rome and Paris. If you get a chance, it’s worth a visit. 

Some photos from our weekend are below. 

JFB