ON THE TRAIL
American Museum
The Museo de América was established in 1941 to display a diverse collection of objects from Spain’ s former colonial territories. Its HQ in the Ciudad Universitaria district was designed by architects Luis Moya and Luis Martínez Feduchi, and evokes the conquistadors’ evangelical mission, with a convent-inspired layout where galleries are arranged around a central cloister. This tribute to art, archaeology and ethnography features Andean and Mesoamerican artifacts, Native American crafts and artworks. The museum promotes dialogue, understanding and collaboration— cultural mediators are on hand to interpret the mostly Spanish exhibits.
MUSEUMS IN MADRID
Dive into the Spanish capital’ s most impressive and celebrated collections, says Emily Lush
From the esteemed‘ Big Three’ institutions that make up the Golden Triangle of Art— inscribed as‘ a Landscape of Arts and Sciences’ by UNESCO in 2021— to contemporary pop-up exhibitions, Madrid is a true bastion of the arts. The Spanish capital is home to more than 100 museums, galleries and cultural centers in total, some set in iconic neoclassical buildings along the Paseo del Arte(‘ Art Walk’), and others occupying retrofitted industrial spaces on the riverside. Trace Spain’ s legacy from ancient Iberia to the imperial era and the 21st century through a combination of artifacts, Golden Age masterpieces and iconic cubist canvases. Here are the five Madrid museums you can’ t miss.
Matadero
Set on the Manzanares River, the Matadero served as Madrid’ s cattle market and abattoir for seven decades before it was closed in 1996. Now an interdisciplinary arts center, it preserves many of its industrial details, including the water tower. Head to the Abierto X Obras, a former refrigeration facility, to see the latest installation, attend a pop-up musical performance in the Plaza or watch a documentary film in the Cineteca. Guided tours, hosted every weekend, explore the city’ s history through the lens of one of its most ambitious urban regeneration projects.
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