Royal Palace

Chapter 6/11 · Madrid

This is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the King of Spain, although the royal family lives in the Zarzuela Palace and this one is used for state ceremonies. On this site the emir Muhammad I built a fortress in Muslim Magerit, which over the centuries became the Royal Alcázar of the kings of Castile and the Habsburgs.

On Christmas Eve 1734 a fire almost completely destroyed the Alcázar, and Philip V decided to build a new palace in its place, with masonry walls and vaults to prevent another fire. Work began in 1738 to plans by Filippo Juvarra, continued by his pupil Giovanni Battista Sacchetti. Charles III was the first king to live in it, and Alfonso XIII the last.

It has more than 3,000 rooms. Among the most famous are the main staircase, designed by Sabatini; the Throne Room, with a ceiling painted by Tiepolo; and the Royal Chapel. The palace also holds the Palatine Stradivarius, stringed instruments by Antonio Stradivari, on display in the music room of the Royal Library. It is managed by Patrimonio Nacional and can be visited when there are no official events.

Now we continue north along Calle de Bailén, beside the east façade of the palace, to the Plaza de Oriente.

← Almudena Cathedral · Plaza de Oriente and statue of Philip IV →