The Home of Religious Art

The Prado Museum is one of Madrid's main attractions and it is considered as one of the best art museums in the world. As you start to walk from room to room, you would immediately notice the strong religious atmosphere that dominates the whole museum. The fact is that Prado houses one of the best and most extensive religious paintings in the world.

The prevalence of religious paintings not only in Prado but all throughout Spain finds its explanation in the era in which those works were made. It was during those times that the Catholic church suffered from rifts and from attacks of other religions. As a counter propaganda then, the monarchs of Spain had tasked the Spanish painters to create religious masterpieces. More than a decorative element in churches and palaces, these works served a form of catechesis for the people during that time in order to fortify their faith and their knowledge of the Catholic religion. As such, these masterpieces are not simply works of art, but also a symbol of the Catholic Church's greatest teachings.