Royal Palace

• Address: Calle de Bailén 28071 Madrid, España
• Phone: +34 914 54 87 00
• Website: patrimonionacional.es

The Spanish colonial empire for more than five centuries was famous for its power, luxury and a huge flotilla. In place of a modest Celtic settlement on the territory of modern Spain, the century after the fortress's age was replaced by castles, and monarchs increased their wealth. And today for us, Madrid is a tourist city with more than a thousand-year history, each street of which stores the sights of antiquity, architecture and art. And the pearl of the heritage of Madrid is truly considered the Royal Palace.

Palacio Real, which is the name of the monument of architecture, is located in the heart of Madrid and is the official residence of the King of Spain. Today it is a museum in which official state ceremonies are held.

Historical moment

Initially, on the site of modern Madrid, the citadel of Emir Mohamed I was founded, dividing the worlds of Christians and Moors. Later, the kings of Castile rebuilt it into the Old Castle (Alcazar). He was the house of the Habsburgs until the terrible Christmas fire of 1734. Philip V - the grandson of the French King Louis XIV, less than a year later began a new grandiose construction. He wanted to build the Palacio Real de Madrid, in order to eclipse Versailles, built by his grandfather. Construction went for almost thirty years from 1735 to 1764, replacing not one architect, and was completed during the reign of Charles III, the son of the founder, who became the first resident of the palace. Finishing work and external equipment continued for more than a hundred years.

The Royal Palace in Madrid is larger in area than its predecessor Alcazar, and in its center the first granite weighing 4 kg is laid. Today, the Royal Palace is the largest building in Madrid, its area is about 135,000 m & sup2 It has 3,418 rooms, but only about 50 rooms are available for visits.

unearthly beauty

Palacio Real de Madrid is built in the form of a rectangle with a large courtyard and an arched gallery. It has three main floors and two basements. Cornices, columns, balustrades, sculptures, tower clock and coat of arms - all this creates the unique beauty of the historical masterpiece. 2.5 hectares of the northern side of the Royal Palace are occupied by Sabatini gardens , which were broken in place of the royal stables in 1933. Shady alleys are planted with pines and cypresses, shrubs are cut in the form of geometric figures. The gardens are decorated with sculptures, fountains and a large pond. Officially the park was opened in 1978 and became the best green corner of Madrid.

From the west side since 1844 there is the "Field of Moors" - the park of Campo del Moro - a beautiful garden in English style. The beauty of the park is complemented by fountains, a pond, artificial grottoes and caves. The area of ​​Campo del Moro is about 20 hectares. Swans and ducks swim in the reservoirs, and hand-held peacocks stroll among the tourists. Since the 1960s. On the territory of the park the Museum of carriages was opened.

From the east is the Plaza de Oriente, because of it the Royal Palace is sometimes called the Oriental. Its territory is divided into three gardens: Central, Lepanto and Caba Noval. A collection of 20 sculptures of Spanish kings is on display in the square.

The main entrance of the Royal Palace of Madrid is located on the southern facade and looks at the Armory Square. For several decades, it was used as a storage facility for weapons. Now every first Wednesday of the month there is a solemn change of guard, which is a march with the orchestra of 100 horses and 400 soldiers in the costumes of the Royal Army.

Interior

In Madrid, and in all of Spain, there is no richer building than the Royal Palace. In different epochs of government it was decorated with frescoes, mahogany, marble, tapestries and paintings by eminent artists. Collections of porcelain, statues, weapons and jewelry make the palace one of the best museums in Madrid. The main staircase invites to the halls of official use:

• The throne room - still performs its functions and retained its original decoration. In it are the thrones set for Juan Carlos and Sophia, the functioning monarchs. The walls are upholstered in velvet, the ceiling is decorated with paintings. The hall is furnished with symbolic statues, on the ceiling crystal chandeliers;
• Hall Gasparini - decorated with silk vegetable ornament with silver thread, stucco on the ceiling, furniture and floor of the same picture. In the center is a table of beautiful mosaics;
• Porcelain hall - almost all consists of amazing porcelain panels, decorated with mirrors;
• The main dining hall was founded in 1879. On the occasion of the royal wedding for 145 people and stylized Flemish tapestries of the XVI century, crystal chandeliers and frescoes;
• The chapel is painted with beautiful frescoes. It features a collection of musical instruments, including the unique quartet Palatina Stradivari (cello, viola, two violins);
• The Armory Chamber has the most luxurious collection of Spanish arms and armor of all the rulers of Madrid since the XIII century;
• The column hall with the painted ceiling is decorated with tapestries and busts of Roman emperors;
• The Royal Pharmacy is a treasury of alchemy, ancient recipes, porcelain and glass bottles;
• Picture gallery - contains a huge collection of paintings from different eras, incl. Madonna and Child, a portrait of Isabella the Catholic and other masterpieces;
• The library contains a collection of ancient manuscripts, manuscripts, drawings, maps and books, coins and medals. Login to it only on special passes.

In the Royal Palace of Madrid, almost every room has its name, interior and decoration. Artistic collections of the palace are evenly distributed throughout the building and each is exhibited in its era and genre, although most of it is hidden in the museum's storehouses.

How to get to the royal palace in Madrid (Spain)?

The residence of the monarchs is located in the western part of the old town at Plaza de Oriente, 1, where you can safely get there by public transport :

• on metro lines L2 and L5 to Opera station, which is 5 minutes from the palace;
• by bus number 3, 25, 39, 148 to the stop of San Quintin - Pavia;
• suburban train to the station Principe Pio;
• for car travelers coordinates GPS longitude - 3.7143366458465152, latitude - 40.41794346868622.

Royal Palace in Madrid - opening hours and ticket prices

The palace is open for visits all year round, from October to April from 10: 00-18: 00, in the summer period it is two hours longer. During official events, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December, as well as if the King of Spain works in the palace, the palace closes for tourists.

The basic price of the excursion varies in the range of € 8-10. For groups of travel agencies, the price is € 6. Preferential categories are at a minimum rate of € 3.5 (disabled, pensioners, children, students, etc.).

Free and only on Wednesdays can get EU citizens and children under 5 years. But the entrance to the picture gallery is not included. And on the International Museum Day on May 18, the entrance for all comers in the Palacio Real de Madrid is absolutely free.

Interesting Facts:

• tickets to the Royal Palace of Madrid can be purchased online, but in Spanish or English. After payment you will be sent an electronic ticket, which must be printed;
• A raised flag above the Royal Palace means that His Majesty is working and signing important documents;
• Some time here lived the brother of Napoleon, Joseph Bonaparte.