The Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid, located in Spain, is a historic palace serving primarily as a site for state ceremonies and a major tourist attraction. Although it is technically the official residence of the Spanish royal family, they do not live there, opting instead for Zarzuela Palace outside the city. The current structure was completed in 1764, replacing a ninth-century Moorish fortress that was destroyed by fire. With over 3,000 rooms, it boasts extensive galleries, a historic armory, and one of Europe’s oldest maintained kitchens. The palace is set within grand grounds that include gardens known as Campo del Moro. Visitors can explore beautifully adorned rooms filled with artwork by renowned artists such as Velazquez and Caravaggio, as well as view impressive architectural features, including a striking main staircase. The palace not only highlights Spain's royal history but also serves as a cultural and artistic hub, welcoming the public to appreciate its rich heritage while hosting official state events.
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The Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid is a historic palace in Spain used for state ceremonies and as a tourist attraction. Technically, the palace serves as the official residence of the royal family of Spain, but the family no longer resides in the building. The Royal Palace is constructed on the location of a ninth-century fortress that was built by the Moors to defend against Christian forces. After the fortress was destroyed by fire in the eighteenth century, the king of Spain ordered a new palace be constructed in its location. After nearly two decades of construction, the Royal Palace of Madrid was completed in 1764. The finished palace included more than three thousand rooms, most of which were bedrooms, offices, or galleries.
The large, rectangular palace is surrounded by a network of parade grounds and gardens. These areas are sometimes used for state weddings, receiving foreign dignitaries, and other official functions. The interior of the palace includes numerous noteworthy rooms, such as a historic armory, a gallery filled with priceless works of art, a library, and one of the oldest maintained kitchens in Europe. Other rooms throughout the palace feature decorations left by previous monarchs.
Background
The site of the Royal Palace of Madrid can trace its roots back to the eighth century CE. In 711, Muslim forces from the Middle East invaded the Iberian Peninsula, the western European peninsula home to Portugal and Spain. After seven years of warfare, the Muslim armies conquered the peninsula. The Muslim forces in Spain were known as the Moors. They attempted to advance further north into Europe, but were eventually driven back in 732. The Moors reinforced their hold on the Iberian Peninsula and prepared to defend it against Christian armies seeking to retake the region.
In the ninth century, the Moorish government built a fortress in central Spain to guard against such a potential invasion. The site eventually grew to become the city of Madrid. The Moors were driven from Spain in the late eleventh century by Alfonso VI and Madrid was recaptured. During the next several centuries, the fort was often occupied, but rarely used for defense.
Local political upheaval in the fifteenth century led to a dramatic increase in the occupation and use of the fortress. It became one of the primary defenses of the city and was quickly elevated to prestigious status when it was occupied by the Spanish royal court.
In 1734, the fortress was destroyed by fire. The ruling Spanish monarch, King Philip V, decided to honor the history of the location by building an ornate palace in its place. Architect Filippo Juvara was originally commissioned by the king to design the new palace. However, due to his unexpected death, the final designs were carried out by his apprentice, Juan Bautista Sachetti. Construction on the palace began in 1738. Building the Royal Palace of Madrid took almost two decades and it was not officially occupied until 1764. The first monarch to live in the palace was not Philip, but Charles III. His successor, Charles IV, also lived in the palace.
Overview
The Royal Palace or Madrid is shaped like a large square. The grounds upon which it resides include a large, lavish courtyard that is home to parade grounds and large galleries. The palace itself contains more than three thousand rooms, many of which are periodically redesigned to suit the needs of the ruling monarchs. The palace’s rooms span more than 1.45 million square feet (135,000 square meters) of living space. This makes it almost twice the size of comparable royal residencies such as Versailles in France and Buckingham Palace in Great Britain.
The palace is also surrounded by a series of gardens called the Campo del Moro. Though initially well cared for, the gardens endured several periods of neglect. However, they were restored to their former beauty under the reign of Queen Maria Christina in the early twentieth century.
Throughout the centuries, monarchs have added and removed various decorations from the palace, leading to gradual changes in the structure’s internal design. Many monuments, architectural features, and decorations from previous monarchs have been allowed to remain as a form of tribute. Many of these rooms are bedrooms and areas designated for entertainment. Numerous other specialized rooms are distributed throughout the palace. These include an armory, a royal library, a royal kitchen, and a royal pharmacy. The armory contains historic armor and weapons used by previous rulers of Spain; the library contains numerous priceless books.
The palace is also home to numerous works by famous artists. These include sculptures, tapestries, and frescos as well as paintings by Juan de Flandes, Caravaggio Velazquez, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Another notable feature of the Royal Palace is a main staircase made from marble. The staircase is adorned with two stone sculptures of lions and statues of kings Charles III and Charles IV.
The Royal Palace of Madrid is technically the official residence of the royal family of Spain. However, in the modern era, the royal family does not utilize the palace as their day-to-day home. Instead, the king of Spain lives in Zarzuela Palace, which is located outside Madrid. The Royal Palace is used as a residence during state functions and as a place to host those state functions. Additionally, the government of Spain recognizes the historic value of both the structure and the artistic works contained within. For this reason, many of the rooms of the Royal Palace are open to the public. This allows the palace to serve as a tourist attraction and museum in addition to its official state functions.
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