Real Hospicio de San Fernando (Museum of Madrid History)

At the very end of the pedestrian section of Calle Fuencarral is one of Madrid's masterpieces of Baroque architecture - the Real Hospicio del Ave Maria y San Fernando.

The asylum for providing medical care to the poor was founded in 1673 on the initiative of Priest Simón de Rojas (canonized in 1988), the first reception began in the house owned by Priest Pedro Fernández Navarrete. A year later, with the support of Queen Mariana of Austria (second wife of Felipe IV), several houses were transferred to the orphanage and a chapel was built.

The era of Felipe V's reign was marked by economic growth, as a result of which urban planning transformations in Madrid began. In 1721, it was decided to demolish the buildings of the orphanage, which were in poor condition, and the architect Pedro de Ribera was commissioned to build a new shelter building. The work was completed in 1726.

The main portal of the building is considered one of the most representative works of Spanish civil Baroque, so in 1919 the building was declared a historical art monument, and three years later the shelter was moved to another location.

In 1926, at the initiative of the Spanish Society of Friends of Art, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando organized an exhibition "Old Madrid" in an empty room, and in 1929 the city council decided to create a municipal museum. The restoration of the building was commissioned by architect Luis Bellido y González. The last reconstruction started in 2002 and was completed in 2006. Under the direction of architect Juan Rodriguez, the building took on a historic appearance.

The museum's expositions tell about the history of Madrid from its foundation to the present. Now in the museum you can see models and plans of city blocks from different eras, collections of paintings, sculptures, furniture, porcelain and silver. Iconic exhibits include Francisco Goya's "Allegory of the City of Madrid", "Madonna and Child Enthroned" by Pedro Berruguete. In the chapel, which has been preserved since the foundation of the orphanage, you can see the "Madonna of San Fernado" by Luca Giordano.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9: 30 to 20: 00, admission is free.