Centro de Arte Reina Sofía - Madrid
Address	Calle Santa Isabel, 52.
Phone	91 4675062 & 91 4674761
Open	Mon and Wed-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-2:30pm. Free guided tours Mon and Wed at 5pm, Sat at 11am
Prices	Admission 3€ ($3.45) adults, 1.50€ ($1.70) students, free after 2:30pm on Sat and all day Sun
Website	www.museoreinasofia.es

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Museo Reina Sofía or simply The Sofia) was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992 and is named for Queen Sofia of Spain. In fact, opened by Queen Sofía in 1986, the Museo Reina Sofía is Madrid's newest center for contemporary art.

Among the most important museums of Madrid are: The Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, the Reina Sofía, the National Archeological museum, the Military Musuem and the Decorative Arts museum. The Reina Sofia Museum of Art is situated between el Paseo de las Delicias and el Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza, Embajadores and la Ronda de Atocha. It is located at the southern end of the so-called Golden Triangle of Art (located along the Paseo del Prado and also comprising the Museo del Prado and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza).

The Reina Sofía was designed as a hospital in the 18th C. by the architect of the royal palace, the Italian Francesco Sabatini, and the Spaniard José de Hermosilla. It wasn't until 2005 that the complex was renovated and expanded by French architect Jean Nouvel; an 8000 m2 (86,000 ft2) expansion which costs €92 million. Today, the complex incorporates an art library and database, a cafe, a theater, a bookstore, Plexiglas-sided elevators, and systems that calibrate security, temperature, humidity, and the quality of light surrounding the exhibits.

The Museum also has fine collections of the works of Juan Gris, Jorge Oteiza, Joan Miró, Eduardo Chillida, Pablo Palazuelo, Luis Gordillo, Antoni Tàpies, Julio González, Pablo Gargallo, Lucio Muñoz, José Luis Gutiérrez Solana and many other significant artists. However, the most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso's great painting Guernica. It also hosts a free-access library specializing in art, with a collection of over 100,000 books, over 3,500 sound recordings and almost 1,000 videos.

Back to:
« Explore Madrid