Casón del Buen Retiro facts for kids
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The Casón del Buen Retiro is a special building in Madrid, Spain. It is part of the famous Museo del Prado complex. After big repairs finished in 2007, it became home to the museum's study center, called the Escuela del Prado, and its large library.
From 1981 to 1992, Picasso's famous painting Guernica was shown here. It came from New York's Museum of Modern Art. Later, it moved to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, where it is now.
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History of the Casón
The Casón del Buen Retiro was built in the 1600s. It was originally a grand ballroom, known as the Salón de Baile, for the Buen Retiro Palace. Today, only two buildings from that palace are left: the Casón and the Salón de Reinos. The Casón is located near the Puerta de Felipe IV entrance of Retiro Park.
A very important painting inside the Casón is The Allegory of the Golden Fleece. This large painting is a fresco on the ceiling. It was painted around 1694 by Luca Giordano for King Charles II of Spain. Many people believe this beautiful fresco is why the Casón building was saved. Most of the other palace buildings were torn down in the 1800s. This fresco is considered one of the best artworks in the Prado Museum's collection.
Past Lives as a Museum
From 1877 to 1960, the Casón was used as the Museo de Reproducciones Artísticas. This museum was started by Antonio Canovas del Castillo, who was the President of the Government. Later, this collection moved to the Museo de América.
After that, the building was used for temporary art shows until 1971. From 1971 to 1981, the Museo del Prado used it to display its 19th-century paintings and sculptures. These artworks used to be in the Museo de Arte Moderno. As mentioned, from 1981 to 1992, the Casón housed Picasso’s Guernica painting.
The Prado Museum Library
The library of the Museo del Prado is on the ground floor of the Casón building. It has a Reading Room for researchers, museum staff, and students from the Escuela del Prado. The library's book storage is in the basements.
It holds about 70,000 books. Many of these books came from two special private collections. One was from José María Cervelló. The other was from the Daza-Madrazo family. This second collection included many books that belonged to the painter José de Madrazo. He was the director of the Museo del Prado from 1838 to 1851.
Escuela del Prado
The Escuela del Prado is a school that is part of the Museo del Prado. It is located inside the Casón building. This school helps people learn more about art and museum work.
Building Restoration Work
From 1997 to 2007, the Casón building was closed for a big renovation. During this time, two new floors were dug out underground. This nearly doubled the amount of space inside the building. The restoration made the Casón ready for its new role as a study center and library.
See also
In Spanish: Casón del Buen Retiro para niños
