The Museo del Prado is one of the buildings constructed during
the reign of Charles III to embellish that part of Madrid first
known as the Salón del Prado and then the Paseo del Prado.
The Salón del Prado, running
from Cibeles to Atocha, was an ambitious example of urban planning
with which Charles III - known as "the best mayor of Madrid"
and also "the builder-king" - aimed to give the city
a noble and monumental urban space comparable to those found in
other European capitals. Charles returned from Naples where he
was monarch to be crowned King of Spain, discovering that his
native city had improved little in his absence. Madrid was still
basically a small Castilian town which had suddenly and unexpectedly
become capital of Spain under Philip II. As a consequence, it
had grown rapidly and in a haphazard fashion.
Departure time: 10 am
Arrival time: 1 pm
Lunch not included
