EJERCITO MUSEUM MADRID

This imposing building, part of the former Palacio del Buen Retiro, is part of the grand expansion scheme of the Prado For art historians, the opulent Antigua Salon de los Reinos (the throne room) holds particular significance. To add to the pomp, Velazquez was commissioned to paint 12 vast canvases celebrating battles won by Felipe IV, while Zurbaran created the 10 Labours of Hercules. The eccentric Army Museum that has filled the room in recent years will eventually be moved to the Alcazar in Toledo to make way for the Prado's collection of 17theentury paintings.