The Museum of Lazaro Galdiano is the best little museum you probably haven't heard of.

This museum is the culmination of the life's work of its namesake, Jose Lazaro Galdiano. The museum houses his collection (paintings, jewelry, curios and all) donated to the city of Madrid on his death in 1947 and displayed in his former home ever since. The whole place is described as the Spanish-version Frick Museum which, for sure, is quite the compliment.

Galdiano started out studying to be a lawyer, but made a quick switch to publishing. His collector's itch began with books. The products of his bibliophilic endeavors can be viewed by appointment at the museum in his former library. But Jose quickly moved on to big league art collecting after he married an Argentinian woman he met in Rome named Paula Florido y Toledo. Throughout their marriage, Paula cultivated his interest in art and acted as an advisor on which paintings he should scoop up. Jose and Paula had a Hallmark relationship, punctuated when he named their Madrid estate in her honor: Parque Florido -- the same estate where the art collection she inspired now rests. *Cue sappy music*.

Life wasn't always wine and roses for Galdiano. Paula died in 1931 and it wasn't long after that the widower went to Paris in self-imposed exile during the violence of the Spanish Civil War. Galdiano occupied his time during exile by expanding his collection, and moved to New York at the outset of World War II because Europe was getting dicey. Galdiano schmoozed and networked around Manhattan until he was flush with old masters by the time it was safe to return to Madrid after the war. Interpersonal skills, and a penchant to purchase any work that a collector might take out of Spain, ensured his future museum would inherit one of the best collections of old masters and Spanish greatest hits in the land of tempranillo and tapas. Although, full disclosure, there might be a few "misattributed" paintings in the LG's room dedicated to Goya. Jury's out on that one...but don't say we didn't warn you.