Following our morning lecture, we make our way by coach to El Escorial, an historical residence of the Kings of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of Madrid. On arrival, we have morning coffee before enjoying a guided tour of the royal site. El Escorial was founded by Philip II in 1563 as a votive monument and pantheon to the Spanish monarchs from the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V onwards. Its complex, though simple, design was created by Juan Bautista de Toledo and completed by Juan de Herrera after Toledo’s death. After lunch, we return to Madrid to make a pilgrimage to 35 Calle de Leganitos, in the old city, to see the outside of the house where the Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti lived and worked during his time in Spain.

Today is Prado day, although not all of the time will be spent in the famous art gallery itself. Museo del Prado, founded in 1819, is Spain’s national art museum and has a range of paintings that stem from the 12th to the early 20th century. It includes outstanding works by Dürer, Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, El Greco and Velázquez, as well as a fine range of paintings with musical connections. With this in mind, Peter will present a study morning at the hotel, where he will discuss in depth – among others – Titian’s Venus and the Organ Player, La Tour’s Hurdy Gurdy Player, Falcone’s A Concert, Brueghel the Elder’s The Sense of Hearing and Goya’s Duke of Alba – who holds in his hand a score of music by Joseph Haydn. Peter will illustrate the sessions with period music. After lunch, we make our way with Peter and Tom for the first of our visits to the Prado where we see in the flesh the paintings discussed in the morning. There will be plenty of time to peruse the collection at leisure. The evening is free to explore the many restaurants in the local area.

Our penultimate day is spent in Toledo – the original capital of Spain – to which we make our way by coach, with coffee and biscuits served on arrival. Among monuments on our itinerary are: the Cathedral, a 13th century building considered to be the apotheosis of the Gothic style in Spain; the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, erected in 1180, and according to an inscription on a beam may well be the oldest synagogue extant in Europe; Museum of Santa Cruz, built by Cardinal Mendoza at the beginning of the 16th century and one of the earliest architectural gems of the Spanish Renaissance. Following a light lunch and our return to Madrid there will be time to relax before enjoying a drinks reception and a final group dinner at a restaurant near to the hotel.

This morning we return to the Prado for our second visit. After lunch we make our way to Madrid Airport for our return scheduled flight to London Heathrow from where we make our own way home.