The Prado Museum is Spain's national art gallery and home to one of the world's foremost collections of European art from the 12th to the 20th Centuries, and one of the most impressive collections of Spanish art across the globe. Carlos III commissioned Juan de Villanueva to design this beautiful building to house the Natural History Cabinet but was instead employed by his grandson, King Ferdinand III, to host the vast Royal collection, including revered works of art like The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch and Death of the Virgin by Mantegna. Soon after, it opened to the public as the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures in 1819. Over the past 200 years, the museum's collection was enhanced by generous acquisitions and donations. These included thousands of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by the likes of Goya, Diego Velázquez, El Greco and Bosch. In July of 2005, the Council of Ministers approved an expansion plan which increased the museum's total space by 50 percent and allowed for 500 more works of the permanent collection to be showcased. On October 30, 2007, the annex opened with a collection of 19th-century Spanish artwork which enabled the Prado to reclaim its glory as the crown jewel of Madrid's art scene. A work of art in itself, the historic museum is a Spanish Property of Cultural Interest.
