Museo Lázaro Galdiano
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0 es, via Wikimedia Commons
The Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid showcases an extensive collection of art amassed by José Lázaro Galdiano, featuring works from the 4th century BC to the early 20th century, with a focus on Spanish artists.
Planning your visit
José Lázaro Galdiano was a financier, publisher and collector who left his mansion and everything in it to the Spanish state on his death in 1947. The house, Parque Florido, is an Italianate palace on the Serrano end of Madrid, and the collection runs to some 12,000 objects spanning the fourth century BC to the early twentieth.
The paintings are the draw: Goya, including works from his private and darker output, El Greco, Zurbarán, Murillo, Bosch, Cranach and Constable. But the collection is deliberately encyclopaedic in the manner of nineteenth-century collecting, and the decorative arts are exceptional — ivories, enamels, arms and armour, medieval reliquaries, textiles, jewellery and a substantial holding of clocks and watches.
The painted ceilings of the ground-floor rooms, commissioned by Lázaro himself, are worth attention in their own right.
It is considerably quieter than the Prado or the Thyssen, and its neighbourhood, Salamanca, is Madrid's most elegant. Allow ninety minutes. The main booking is an entry ticket with audio tour. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Museo Lázaro Galdiano?
Museo Lázaro Galdiano is in Madrid, Spain. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museo Lázaro Galdiano?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museo Lázaro Galdiano in advance?
The audio-guide option can normally be added on arrival, though booking ahead secures the date.
