PALACIO REAL
Madrid’s fabulous Royal Palace is one of Europe’s outstanding architectural monuments. More than half of the state apartments are open to the public, sumptuously decorated with silk wall hangings, frescoes and gilded stucco, and crammed with priceless objets d’art. The palace’s setting is equally breathtaking: beyond the main courtyard (Plaza de la Armería) lies an uninterrupted vista of park and woodland, stretching to the majestic peaks of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
NEED TO KNOW
Calle Bailén • 914 54 88 00 • www.patrimonionacional.es • Open Apr–Sep: 10am–8pm daily (Oct–Mar: to 6pm; 24 & 31 Dec: to 3pm); closed 1 & 6 Jan, 1 May & 25 Dec • Adm €13, €7 (concessions), additional €4 for guided tour and €3 for audio guide; free Mon–Thu (Apr–Sep: 6–8pm; Oct–Mar: 4–6pm); free for under-5s, EU citizens & Ibero-Americans
- The palace can close for official ceremonies without prior warning; check ahead. Avoid queues by arriving early in the morning.
- On the first Wed (Oct–Jul), see the grand Changing of the Guard ceremony at noon. On all other Wed and Sat, there’s a ceremony from 11am–2pm.
- The avenue in Jardines del Campo del Moro offers great views of the palace’s façade.
1. Façade
Stand for a few moments on Plaza de Oriente to enjoy the splendour of Sacchetti’s façade, gleaming in the sun. Sacchetti achieved a rhythm by alternating Ionic columns with Tuscan pilasters.
The imposing facade of Plaza de Oriente
2. Main Staircase
When Napoleon first saw the exquisite frescoes on the staircase after installing his brother on the Spanish throne, he said “Joseph, your lodgings will be better than mine.”
Fresco on the main staircase
3. Hall of Columns
Once the setting for balls and banquets, this room is still used for ceremonial occasions, with Giaquinto’s fresco of Carlos III (shown as the sun god Apollo) and superb 17th-century silk tapestries.
4. Throne Room
This room was designed for Charles III by Giovanni Battista Natali as a glorification of the monarchy. The bronze lions by the throne were made in Rome in 1651.
The majestic throne room
5. The Royal Kitchens
Set in the basement of the palace, these kitchens were designed in 1737. The wedding feast of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia was prepared here. Known to be the oldest, most well-preserved royal kitchens in Europe, they display 2,625 utensils, bearing the royal crest.
The grand Gala Dining Room
6. Gala Dining Room
The banqueting hall was created for the wedding of Alfonso XII in 1879. The tapestries and ceiling frescoes are by Anton Mengs and Diego Velázquez. Look out for the Chinese vases “of a thousand flowers” in the window recesses.
7. Gasparini Room
Named after its Italian creator, this magnificent room was Charles III’s robing room. The beautiful ceiling is encrusted with stuccoed fruit and flowers and is an excellent example of 18th-century chinoiserie.
Inspiring decor of the Gasparini Room
8. The Royal Library
Founded in 1712 by King Felipe V, the Royal Library contains more than 20,000 articles, including Isabel I of Castile’s Book of Hours, a Bible which belonged to Doña María de Molina. There is a volume of Scriptures from the era of Alfonso XI of Castile as well.
9. Armoury
Housed in a pavilion built in 1897, the royal armoury boasts more than 2,000 pieces, mostly made for jousts and tournaments rather than for the battlefield. It also has instruments of torture dating from the days of the Spanish Inquisition.
10. Royal Chapel
Ventura Rodríguez is usually credited with the decoration of this chapel, although he worked hand-in-hand with other collaborators. The dome, supported by massive columns of black marble, is illuminated with more of Giaquinto’s frescoes.
BUILDING THE PALACE
This palace stands on the site of the Alcázar, the 9th-century Moorish fortress. The wooden structure burned down in 1734 and Felipe V initally commissioned Italian architect Filippo Juvarra, then Giovanni Sacchetti, to design a replacement. Work began in 1738 and was completed in 1764. However, the present King Felipe VI, prefers to live at the Palacio de la Zarzuela outside the city.
