Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
El Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando en Madrid alberga una destacada colección de arte español, italiano y flamenco, incluyendo obras de Goya, Zurbarán y Rubens.
Planning your visit
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando is the older institution behind the Prado — founded in 1752, it trained Spanish artists for generations and accumulated a collection along the way that would be a major museum anywhere else.
Goya is the reason to go. The Academy holds thirteen of his paintings including two self-portraits, The Burial of the Sardine, and the extraordinary Madhouse and Inquisition Tribunal — small, dark works that anticipate the Black Paintings. Goya was the Academy's director, and his presence here is direct.
Beyond him: Zurbarán's monastic series, Ribera, Murillo, Rubens, Bellini, Arcimboldo and a substantial holding of Spanish and Italian painting, alongside the plaster casts and drawings used in academic training.
It sits on Calle de Alcalá, minutes from Puerta del Sol, and is consistently near-empty compared with the Prado. Allow ninety minutes. The main booking is an entry ticket. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando?
Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando is in Madrid, Spain. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
