Madrid - Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando

Like the other Royal Academies, the San Fernando Academy of Art was founded by the Bourbons. Charles III (1759-88) purchased the Baroque palace of a financier named Goyeneche and commissioned Diego de Villanueva to reconstruct it for its new function. Villanueva then altered Churriguera's facade in accordance with Neo-Classical principles and removed all the Baroque decoration. The San Fernando Academy is the headquarters of the Madrid Academy of Art. Its Directors have included Goya, its students Picasso and Dalí.