Madrid is the cultural center of Spain, with theaters, museums, libraries, and educational institutions that attract many scholars and visitors. Of Madrid's public universities, the oldest and largest is the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, also known as the University of Madrid, with more than 130,000 students. The school originally opened in the nearby town of Alcalá de Henares in 1508 and was moved to Madrid in 1836. Another university, the Universidad Autónoma, was opened in 1968 on the north edge of the city, and in 1977 a third, the Universidad de Alcalá, opened in Alcalá de Henares. The Universidad de Carlos III opened in 1990 on the grounds of an old army base on the south edge of the city.
Madrid has many museums. The most famous is the Museo del Prado The Prado is actually a complex of three facilities on the eastern side of the Paseo del Prado. It has arguably the best collection of European paintings in the world. The museum also houses a fine collection of art from the Spanish school, which includes artists such as El Greco, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco de Goya. Another notable art museum is the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of contemporary art named for the current queen of Spain. It opened in 1986 as a center for temporary exhibits, and its permanent collection was inaugurated in the early 1990s. The museum specializes in 20th-century paintings, especially works by Spanish artists. It includes one of the most famous paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, Guernica (1937), which portrays a city bombed during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The painting is an evocative depiction of the tragedy caused by the war.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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