Naval Museum of Madrid facts for kids
| Museo Naval | |
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| Established | 1843 |
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| Location | Paseo del Prado 5, Madrid, Spain |
| Type | Naval museum |
The Naval Museum (also known as Museo Naval in Spanish) is a cool national museum located in Madrid, Spain. It's a place where you can explore the amazing history of the Spanish Navy. This museum shows how the Spanish Navy has grown and changed from the 1400s, when the Catholic Monarchs ruled, all the way up to today.
You'll find lots of interesting things here, like old navigation tools, cool weapons, ancient maps, and beautiful paintings. These displays help you understand not just naval history, but also the wider story of the Spanish Empire.
The Museum's Home
The idea for the Naval Museum started way back in 1792. But it wasn't until 1843 that the museum officially opened its doors in Madrid. Its first home was the "Palacio de los Consejos." Over the years, it moved a few times, first to the "Casa del Platero" and then to the "Palacio de los Ministerios." It stayed there until 1932.
In the 1920s, the Ministry of the Navy got a brand new building. The museum then moved into this new headquarters in 1932. The architects who designed this impressive building were José Espelius and Francisco Javier de Luque.
When you visit, you enter through a modern front on the Paseo del Prado. Inside, you'll find what used to be courtyards. These areas are now exhibition halls for the museum. They have amazing stained-glass roofs with designs of ships and other cool patterns. These beautiful glassworks were made by a famous family business called Maumejean. On weekends, a special door opens to the grand staircase of the Navy Headquarters, letting visitors admire the building's architecture.
Amazing Collections
The Naval Museum has many unique and important items. One of the most famous is the map of Juan de la Cosa. This map, made in 1500, is the oldest map of the Americas that we still have today! It's always on display for everyone to see.
Since 2007, the museum has also been home to a real piece of Moon rock. This tiny rock, weighing just one gram, was collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. It's one of only two Moon rock samples given to Spain. It went on display in 2009, celebrating 40 years since humans first landed on the Moon.
The museum also shows off a collection of beautiful Ming ceramics. These special pieces were found from the shipwreck of a ship called the San Diego.
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Map of Juan de la Cosa made in 1500 in El Puerto de Santa María
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An astrolabe mater (c. 1570)
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Ming ceramics from the San Diego shipwreck
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1688 globe by Vincenzo Coronelli
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Sala "Almirante Jose Ignacio Gonzalez-Aller"
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See also
In Spanish: Museo Naval (Madrid) para niños
