Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, though it is used mainly for state ceremonies. With more than 135,000 square metres of floor space and 3,418 rooms, it is the largest palace in Western Europe and the largest royal palace in Europe. It stands on Bailén Street in the western part of central Madrid, east of the Manzanares River.

Its outside is in a late Baroque classical style. The main front faces the Plaza de la Armería, and its giant columns and flat pillars mix grey granite with white limestone. Around it are the Plaza de Oriente and two gardens, the Sabatini Gardens to the north and the Campo del Moro to the west.

From fortress to palace

The site once held a Muslim-era fortress from the 9th century, built by Muhammad I of Córdoba, and later the Royal Alcázar, where Spanish kings lived. Philip II made Madrid his capital in 1561 and kept adding to it.

On Christmas Eve 1734 a fire destroyed the Alcázar. It burned for four days, and some paintings, such as Velázquez's Las Meninas, were saved by throwing them out of the windows.

Building the new palace

Philip V ordered a new palace. The Italian architect Filippo Juvarra drew up a lavish plan inspired by Bernini's ideas for the Louvre, and his pupil Giambattista Sacchetti carried on the work after him. It was built between 1738 and 1755.

Charles III first lived there in 1764. He called in Francesco Sabatini to enlarge it, and in the 19th century Ferdinand VII began a thorough renovation.

Treasures inside

The rooms include the Throne Room, the Hall of Columns, the Royal Chapel, the Royal Library and the Royal Pharmacy. The art includes paintings by Caravaggio, Goya and Velázquez, and ceiling frescoes by Tiepolo.

The palace also keeps the Royal Armoury, one of the most important collections of arms and armour, along with porcelain, watches and silverware. It even holds the only complete Stradivarius string quintet in the world.

On the globe

The model shows the large palace with its stone facade facing the square.