Prado museum, first location of the Guernica upon its return to Spain
In September 1981, the Guernica finally returned to Spain, a move seen as an approval of the new Spanish government. The painting was housed in a new section of the Prado, which contains some of the finest art in the world, close to the Spanish Parliament. In October, on the 100th anniversary of Picasso's birth, it was finally unveiled to the public of Spain, with his sketches safely placed in adjourning rooms. The painting was kept under bullet-proof glass, as the government worried about the threat of terrorists, and certain groups did object to its display in Madrid. But there were worse news about the painting: due to all the damage it had incurred as a result of touring, it was declared that the painting would no longer go on tour.
In 1992, the painting was moved to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia; this move once provoked controversy, since Picasso specifically mentioned that the piece should be kept at the Prado in his will. Since 1997, Basque Nationalist Groups have been insisting that the art work be moved to the Guggenheim, although this has yet to occur.