Juan de Villanueva

Spanish architect

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July 14, 2026

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Juan de Villanueva was a prominent Spanish Neoclassical architect. He studied in Rome and brought a style similar to that of contemporary French and English architects back to Spain. His notable works include three villas: the Casita de Arriba and Casita de Abajo at El Escorial, and the Casita del Principe at El Prado. His most significant building is the Prado Museum in Madrid, constructed between 1785 and 1787. Villanueva was one of the key architects who contributed to the development and skyline of Madrid under the Bourbon kings, particularly Charles III.12

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Western architecture
Spain and Portugal
…the leading Neoclassical architect was Juan de Villanueva, who studied in Rome and returned to Spain in 1705 with a style similar to that evolved by the leading contemporary French and English architects. His buildings include three villas; the Casita de Arriba (1773) and the Casita de Abajo (1773), both…
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…the leading Neoclassical architect was Juan de Villanueva, who studied in Rome and returned to Spain in 1705 with a style similar to that evolved by the leading contemporary French and English architects. His buildings include three villas; the Casita de Arriba (1773) and the Casita de Abajo (1773), both…
Read More