Museo Cerralbo Madrid

Madrid’s Rococo palace

Andrea from Madrid

"Museo Cerralbo Madrid is a surprising little museum. It's very central, yet feels tucked away; it's absolutely fascinating and over-the-top and I love it"

Madrid has a great many surprising little museums tucked away all over the city. The Museo Cerralbo, once the home of the Marquis de Cerralbo, is less than 5 minutes walk from the very central Plaza de España, but nevertheless, it feels like a well-kept secret.

Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, who died in 1922, must have been a total magpie because this mini-palace is stuffed full of his many collections, which are artfully displayed around the house in cabinets and on every available wall and surface...

The many swords and knives are a favourite of mine. Why stop at having a pair of sabres on the wall if you can have several hundred, all arranged in a gigantic, shiny, pointy pile?

Everything is richly decorated with paintings, wall hangings, murals or giant mirrors. There are red, pink and blue rooms, a library, ballroom, study and an Oriental room, complete with opium pipes. It's absolutely over-the-top and completely fascinating. Once, I had a long conversation with one of the very knowledgeable attendants, who told me some juicy gossip about the old Marquis... maybe you'll be as lucky as me!

Free entrance on Thursdays 17:00 - 20:00 and all day Sunday.

Art & culture

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Madrid Spotter Andrea

About Me I am a teacher and examiner who made a home in Madrid many years ago. I love live music, art, books, travel, food and dancing and am well served for all my interests in Madrid. I live on a special plane where I exist as an eternal tourist (check out Alain de Botton’s book The Art of Travel) who maintains a sense of wonder in a familiar place. I love showing people round my favourite spots in Madrid but am never happier than when I am discovering new gems. Why Madrid Madrid seduced me when I first visited, with its untamed and unapologetic Spanishness. We came ...

About this spot

Calle Ventura Rodríguez, 17

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Nov 17, 2025

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