At one end of Paseo del Arte (Art Walk), you’ll find this iconic museum, home to an impressive collection of modern and contemporary (mainly Spanish) art of international renown. The Reina Sofía not only holds works by Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris, but also Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica, which immortalises the suffering inflicted by the Guernica bombing of 27 April 1937, which took place during the Spanish Civil War.
Other must-see pieces on display include A World by Ángeles Santos; Salvador Dalí’s The Great Masturbator; The Fair by Maruja Mallo; and Snail, Woman, Flower, Star by Joan Miró.
The museum’s collection features outstanding works by such Spanish artists as Antoni Tàpies, Eduardo Chillida and Jorge Oteiza, as well as international names like Louise Bourgeois, Lucio Fontana, Francis Bacon and Richard Serra. It’s also a fantastic showcase of works from art movements and groups like the Spanish collective El Paso (Antonio Saura, Manolo Millares), the French Nouveau Réalisme artistic movement (Yves Klein), Brazilian Neo-Concrete Art (Lygia Clark), Italian Arte Povera (Michelangelo Pistoletto) and LGBTQ+ protest art in Latin America (Pedro Lemebel).
Buy the Paseo del Arte Pass so you can enjoy Madrid's three most renowned museums at a reduced rate!
The Building
The Reina Sofía Museum is housed in a neoclassical building located in Atocha. It was originally erected as a hospital in the 16th century by Philip II who wanted to centralise all the court’s hospitals in one place. In the 18th century, Charles III commissioned the expansion of the facilities, with architects José de Hermosilla and, particularly, Francisco Sabatini playing key roles in shaping the current building.
Over the years, it underwent numerous modifications until the hospital was finally closed in 1965. Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1977, restoration work began in 1980. The Reina Sofía Art Centre opened in 1986, using the first and second floors for temporary exhibitions. The final renovation work was completed at the end of 1988, and included the three glass and steel elevator shafts designed by British architect Ian Ritchie.
The Permanent Collection was inaugurated on 10 September 1992, officially establishing the Reina Sofía as a museum. It was later expanded between 2001 and 2005 by architect Jean Nouvel who added more exhibition space, a library and an auditorium.
The museum has two other sites in Madrid, Velázquez Palace and the Glass Palace, both in El Retiro Park, which host temporary exhibitions and site-specific art installations.
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