The Royal Palace of Madrid
It is the rofficial residence of the King, inhabited from Carlos III to Alfonso XIII, but the current monarch does not occupy it and is intended for official acts. Every Wednesday the spectacular changing of the royal guard. It occupies the space where the primitive Arab Alcazar was located.
Built with granite from the Sierra de Guadarrama for the facades and white limestone from Colmenar for finials and ornamental details, this enormous building with a square floor plan surrounding a large central patio is crowned at the corners by four towers. It was inspired by the sketches that Bernini made for the Louvre in Paris.
It is accessed through the wide Plaza de la Armería, where we will see the Royal Armory with one of the most important weapons museums in the world. The west facade facing the Moor's Field, while this, look towards the Plaza de Oriente.
Inside we will see the monumental main staircase and a succession of rooms of which we will highlight:
El Throne room, with a dome painted by Tiepolo, glassware from La Granja and a rich set of bronze statues.
El Salón de Gasparini with a spectacular marble floor and mirrors, chandeliers and rococo decorations, and an antechamber decorated with paintings of Goya.
El Hall of Columns, where the Treaty of Accession of Spain to the European Union was signed, which has walls with XNUMXth century tapestries and Roman busts and sculptures from the Old Alcázar.
El Gala dining room It was made at the end of the XNUMXth century, creating a room with XNUMXth century tapestries, XNUMXth century Chinese porcelain vases and paintings by Mengs, González Velázquez and Bayeu.
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El Porcelain Room, commissioned by Carlos III, whose ceilings are covered by porcelain plates from the Royal Factory of Buen Retiro.
The visit can be done freely or in guided groups.