Spain is one of the biggest and most developed countries in the world. If, on one hand, it is known for its glamorous nightlife, then on the other hand, Spain’s ancient monuments and daytime attractions are popular among the tourists. If you are in love with historical and cultural values of the country, and want to explore the hidden treasures of Spain’s culture, then here comes the top 10 ancient monuments in Spain.
10. Marqués de Grimaldi Palace
The Palace of Marqués de Grimaldi is situated in Madrid, Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 2000. During 17th century, Carlos III commissioned Francisco Sabatini to construct this palace. It was, in those days, the house of state secretaries administrative units. It is actually situated in the Austrias district. This building has a rich history, and was beautified with classic traces and rigid symmetry which are arranged at the entrance and windows. The ground floor and mezzanine are also very beautiful. Inside the building, you can view the composition of the lobby staircase with great visual effects of the space expanding all around. The name of this palace was kept because of its inhabitants who were Marquis of Grimaldi and Manuel de Godoy. These two were ministers of the king. When Godoy stayed here, he renovated the building with marbles, fresco paintings, and beautiful sculptures. Today, the palace has taken the form of the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies.
9. Monastery of San Lorenzo
The Monastery of El Escorial has been known to be an example of marvelous architectural style of Spain. It became famous as Herrerian after the creator, Juan de Herrera. It is one of the World Heritage sites. This monastery was used by Philip II for his family pantheon. Its construction was started in 1563 under the supervision of Juan de Toledo. The time he died, this work was handled by Juan de Herrera, who completed the building in 1584. The building is made of beautiful granite and has been divided into three areas. The middle area is the Kings' Courtyard. A tower is present at its four corners having a measurement of 55 m, crowned by metal spheres. The compound has the Ministries, Casa de los Oficios artisans' houses, and the Compaña. Also, each apartment has been connected with the others through arches. A church is present, formed in Greek-style, and there are funerary monuments of Charles V and Philip II in the main chapel. A library with over 43,000 is also present on the second floor. These books and documents belong to 15th and 16th centuries.
8. Museum of America
The Museum of America is a nationally reputed museum of Madrid. It has wide range of artistic, archaeological and ethnographic collections. These monuments have been collected from all parts of the world especially from America, and belong to the Paleolithic period. The museum took the form of an institution and its foundation was laid in 1941. During 1962, all the funds were moved to museum’s present-day premises. The exhibition centers have been divided into five areas; awareness of America, reality of America, society, religion, and communication. The museum has more than 25,000 artifacts, collected from South and Central America, and Asia. Most of its monuments are from the North America. One of its attractions is the Pre-Columbian art section. Also, there are fantastic monuments of the scientific advancement. One of its sections has monuments of indigenous languages of America. A fascinating artifact is the Tudela codex, the Aztec code of law from around 1553, having beautiful and attractive pictograms. For those with a taste of textiles, this museum has colorful feather headdress, collected from the Karajà Indians times in Brazil.
7. Museum of Costume
The Museo del Traje is situated in Madrid, Spain. It is devoted to the collections of fashion and costumes. The museum has more than 150,000 pieces and documents, which have come from different parts of the world. The construction of this museum was completed in 1973. Most of the collections date from the Middle Ages, which remind the awesome work of fashion designers of Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1962. The current Museo del Traje is dating back from 2004. The museum, regardless of the fact that it has rich historical value, is a newly constructed building. It tracks its history from the Historic Costume Exhibition times which was held in 1925. In 1993, the Museum of the Spanish Village and the National Museum of Ethnology were united to form one institution, the National Museum of Anthropology (1993–2004). However, both of these museums had been operating separately. Finally, in 2002, a decision was taken that the collections of costumes from ancient times to the present day should be depicted in a specific museum.
6. Museum of Natural Sciences
The Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales is also named as the National Museum of Natural History. It is situated in Madrid, by the Paseo de la Castellana. The museum is under the adminstration of the Spanish National Research Council. Its foundation was laid in 1772 by Charles III of Spain as the Gabinete Real de Historia Natural. Its name was changed several times, and is originally hosting the collections of a Spanish merchant, Pedro F. Dávila. In 1867, some facilities were separated to form other museums (Archeology, Botanic Garden, Zoologic Garden). In 1987, the museum was founded for the second time, and the donations of two small museums were spent here. Some of the major components of this museum are; Megatherium from Argentina in 1789, Diplodocus by Andrew Carnegie, and others. The museum is sharing a vast building with the Industrial Engineering School of the Technical University of Madrid. It has been divided into several research departments for better view. It has, since the day of its origin, has evolved as an excellent museum through several incarnations. This is one of those few places in the world where you can find original dinosaur bones, meteorites, historical paintings and a garden dedicated to students. The museum also has a wide range of interactive games to attract the children.
5. Museum of Outdoor Sculpture
The Museum of Outdoor Sculpture of Alcala de Henares (also known as Museum of Outdoor Sculpture) is one of the famous contemporary art exhibitions of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid). This museum was founded in 1991 and has been organized by the sculptor José Noja. It was opened for public during 1993. Thise museum has wide collections of 58 sculptures both of figurative and abstract art. Not only this but also the museum has various modern and contemporary works of ancient artists of Spain, America, and Europe. In this museum, the arrangement of the sculptures is done in two urban sections: along the Complutense Avenue (Vía Complutense) and on the border of ancient city walls. This way, the museum is longest of its class all over the world, spread in an area of 2 km. The museum has several attractive statues of famous artists like Amadeo Gabino, José Lamiel, Pablo Serrano and others.
4. National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum of Spain has been opened after its renovation. It is situated beside the Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square), and shares the building with the National Library. The foundation of this museum as laid in 1867 by a Royal Decree of Isabella II. It was constructed with the purpose of depicting the marvelous archaeological, ethnographical and decorative art collections to the world. These collections belong to the Spanish monarchs. During 1895, this museum’s collection ere brought to the present-day venue, which is a neoclassical building. Its design was presented by architect Francisco Jareño and construction was completed during 1866 - 1892. In 1968, due to the renovations and extension work, the area of the museum was increased. During 2008, this was again closed for renovation. The project had to be completed by 2013, but the museum was re-opened in April 2014.
3. National Auditorium of Music
The Auditorio Nacional de Música, also known as National Auditorium of Music, is a complex of concert venues. It is situated in Madrid’s main concert hall of the metropolitan area. The auditorium comprises of two main concert rooms: a symphonic hall and one chamber music hall. The main venue of this auditorium is the Orquesta Nacional de España. This used to symbolize the concerts of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid and the Community of Madrid Orchestra. Another major venue is the Auditorio Nacional which is dedicated to guest orchestras’ performances of Madrid. One of the main concert halls of Auditorio is the Sala Sinfónica (Symphonic Hall) which has a capacity of over 2300 seats. The Main Hall’s seats are present all around the concert stage, and follow the traditions of modern concert halls of Europe. A relatively small hall is named as the Sala de Cámara (Chamber Hall). It has the capacity of only 690 seats. The Auditorio has a Sala General del Coro (General Choir Hall), having the capacity of only 207 seats. It has some practice rooms as well. The auditorium plays a significant role in the music world, because here various performances are held.
2. National Library of Spain
The Biblioteca Nacional de España, also known as National Library of Spain, is a major tourist point of Madrid. It is a famous public library of Spain, and one of the largest in the world. it is situated in Madrid, on the Paseo de Recoletos. The foundation of the library was laid by King Philip V in 1712 as the Palace Public Library (Biblioteca Pública de Palacio). The Royal Letters Patent were granted by this king. During 1836, the library was given the status of Crown property, but then its ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Governance (Ministerio de la Gobernación). During those days, its name was changed into the Biblioteca Nacional. Above the library is present the statue of Hispania by Agustí Querol. During 19th century, the confiscation, purchase and donation let the BN acquire the major part of antique and precious books that are presently present in this library. It was opened for public on March 16, 1896. The library has one Reading Room on the main floor that holds over 310 readers. In 1931, the Reading Room was renovated, and major collections of reference books were provided. On the other hand, the General Reading Room was founded to fulfill the reading requirements of students, and library employees.
1. National Museum of Decorative Arts
The Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (also known as National Museum of Decorative Arts, and National Museum of Industrial Arts), is situated at 12 Montalbán Street, in Madrid, Spain. It is in the southern side of the Puerta de Alcalá and the west of the Buen Retiro Park. It is one of the most famous and ancient museums of Spain, found within the Golden Triangle of Art. Just like the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, this museum has wide collection of industrial and minor arts such as furniture, ceramics, glasses, and textiles etc. Its collections belong to 16th and 17th centuries. There are around 35,000 pieces in this museum, including a big quantity of Arabic world items, which are collected from Morocco and Turkey. The museum has over 60 exhibition rooms, which are present within the palace close to the Jardines del Retiro de Madrid. This museum receives around 21,000 visitors yearly. The foundation of this museum was laid by Royal Decree in 1912, under the name of National Museum of Industrial Arts. It had been following a precedent during the reign of Amadeo I of Spain, and in those days it was considered to be an industrial museum. During the initial stage, the place was dedicated for research work rather than tourism. It used to be an institution for learners, manufacturers and designers, just like the Victoria and Albert Museum of London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris.
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