The Museo del Prado is a museum and art gallery located in Madrid. Originally conceived as a Natural History Musem and built on the orders of Charles III, the building which now houses the Museo Nacional del Prado was designed by the architect Juan de Villanueva en 1785.
It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection.
The Royal Collections, the origins of the Prado’s present collection, originated in the sixteenth century under the Emperor Charles V were enriched over the years by all the succeeding Spanish monarchs, both Habsburgs and Bourbons.
El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered to be among the greatest museums of art.