Prado Museum detailed timeline
1785 - Juan de Villanueva designed the building in the signature Neoclassical style.
1819 - King Ferdinand VII opened the Royal Museum, renamed the National Museum of Paintings and Sculptures and later the Museo Nacional del Prado, to the public for the first time in November 1819. Its first catalogue was published in the same year and included 311 paintings.
1881 - The museum received countless donations after its opening, with Barón Emile d'Erlanger's donation of Goya's Black Paintings in 1881 particularly significant.
2001 - Construction began to expand the museum's capacity and allow more guests to enjoy the place.
2004 - Changes were made and approved to Prado Museum's legal and statutory framework by the Museo Nacional del Prado Act, increasing its capacity to self-finance.