How The Prado Has Survived 200 Years Of Turbulent Spanish History

When Charles III commissioned the building in the 1780s, he intended it to become a natural science museum; by the time it was ready to open in 1819, his grandson Ferdinand VII decided it was to be a showplace for the royal art collection. Since then, it’s been involved in everything from art education programs for peasants to the country’s civil wars (the Prado’s importance was the one thing every side agreed on). — The New York Times

Article source here:Arts Journal