1 Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
2 Museo de América
3 Museo Lázaro Galdiano
4 Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
5 Museo Sorolla
6 Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
7 Palacio Real
8 Parque del Retiro
9 Plaza Mayor
10 El Prado
This museum's outstanding collection focuses on the art and culture of the Americas from before the Spanish colonial period to the present day.
If this museum were located on the Paseo del Prado, it would be packed with visitors. Set in the university district northwest of the city centre, it remains a well-kept secret. The spacious building has two floors of permanent exhibits, divided into five sections: Instruments of Knowledge, the American Reality, Society, Religion and Communication. Maps explain the movements of native peoples through the Americas and the routes of the explorers; feathered head-dresses contrast with ceramic vessels shaped like sting rays or parrots.
Since the Spanish melted down much of the gold they found in the Americas, the surviving Quimbayas treasure is particularly important. Dating from 600 BC-AD 600, the 130 gold objects were discovered in two tombs in Colombia. Finely-crafted, they range from statuettes and bowls to necklaces and helmets. There is even a whistle and trumpet. Equally important are the codices, or manuscripts, which are keys to understanding pre-Colombian culture. One of only three surviving Mayan manuscripts is the TroCortesiano Codex, with symbols depicting the religious rituals of the Mayan calendar. Although the Tudela Codex also records religious ceremonies - this time of the late Aztec culture - it is post-conquest and dates from 1553. Written on paper and bound like a book, it is annotated in Spanish. Paintings from the Spanish colonial period are also historical records, ranging from a large work showing the Archbishop and Viceroy Morcillo entering the city of Potosí (modern Bolivia) to a series of portraits of the multi-racial society of Mexico.Address: Avenida de los Reyes Católicos 6
Phone: 91 543 94 37
Open: Tue-Sat 10-3; Sun, public hols 10-2:30
Restaurant: Café (Inexpensive)
Bus: 1, 12, 16, 44, 61, 82, 83, 132, 133
Metro: Moncloa
Accessible: Good
Admission: Cheap; free under-18, over-65; Sun
Other: Teleférico
Practical: Lectures Sat at 12 (except Aug)
Info: Plaza Mayor 3 Phone: 91 588 16 36
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