Perhaps the least visited of Madrid's major art treasures are the stunning frescoes painted by Francesco Goya that fill the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida.
The little chapel, along the banks of the Manzanares River behind the Royal Palace, hosts an annual festival in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, but it's the interior that has become a place of pilgrimage for art lovers. Among Goya's finest works, the frescoes illustrate the theme of the miracle performed by Saint Anthony, while also depicting scenes of everyday life in Madrid.
The frescoes reveal Goya's boldness of artistic style and revolutionary painting techniques. They were painted at a turning point in Goya's career and are considered a precursor of modern painting. The chapel is designated a national monument and is no longer used for religious services to protect the frescoes.
