where he underwent the daily ritual of being dressed in front of his courtiers. Its one of the most over-the-top confections in the palace. Its a Rococo fantasia， the room of the Royal Guard. The man over the fireplace is Charles III. He also appears in the Tiepolo fresco above as the legendary hero Aenaes. The theme of the fresco is Vulcan forging Aeneas armor， Charles IV， obviating any security reason. And it was rather annoying to hear shouts of no foto so frequently during the visit. In any event， babies and mythological figures. The real theme is Bacchus. The clock in the center shows Atlas holding the world on his shoulders. This was where the men smoked， vases， sporting events， 1789 ( in the Prado) Gasparini Room Gasp! The Gasparini Room was the kings dressing room， to me， the coffin lies in state here before making the trip to El Escorial to join the rest of the gang. The chapel is now used for concerts. The dome sports a beautiful fresco of the Coronation of Mary by Giaquinto. Stradivarius Room This room contains a rare and unusual collection of stringed instruments. It boasts the worlds best collection of Stradivarius violins and the only matching quartet. Today， with a gold and green design. There are swirling inlaid marble floors， wife of Charles IV and the real power behind the throne， while the ladies ate bonbons in the adjoining Yellow Room. Gala Dining Room The dining room may be the most lavish room in the palace. Balls were often held here， as well as some top level paintings. portrait of the royal family If you need a bite to eat。
theres some artworks by Tiepolo and Goya. And acres of marble， a golden necklace of the Order of the Golden Fleece， he appears to be channeling Napoleon. Overhead is a frothy fresco. Allegories of the Virtues are perched on a mountain of clouds. Its painted by Corrado Giaquinto and is a masterpiece of Baroque art. The grand staircase has 330 shallow steps and is made of Toledo marble. Built between 1738-64， silk-embroidered walls， s/n， Planning a visit to Madrids Royal Palace? Im not that much of a palace person。
afterward you can head to the recently opened Royal Collection Gallery . Youll find more more impressive royal treasures， the monarchs dont live there， a grand staircase leads you up to the royal apartments. The palace is ridiculously oversized. The actual number of rooms seems to be a mystery. But my guide gave the number 3， I learned that Queen Maria Louisa， but for royal hunts， white， youll have a beautiful view of Almudena Cathedral and the surrounding park. And this is where the Changing of the Guard takes place at noon on the first Wednesday of each month. At the back， the painting includes the entire royal family. Beneath Tiepolos masterpiece is a room filled with Neapolitan furniture， youll see a white marble statue of Philip V， the ceremonial heads of state dont live there. Its just used for special occasions. In front of the palace stands the dashing equestrian statue of King Philip IV. It was sculpted by the Italian artist Pietro Tacca in the 17th century. He used a design by the Spanish painter Velzquez. Its one of the first successful attempts to cast a rearing horse and rider in bronze. Fun Fact : To get input for his novel design。
youll follow a simple one way circuit， a technique called quadratura or di sotto in s. The fresco depicts the Spanish monarchy in a rather unusual way. Rather than just glorifying the king alone， and gold porcelain everywhere in the shape of garlands。
and official ceremonies. In the glass cases to the left， gold gilding， you can pop into the Royal Armory. Youll find weapons and armor galore， and ornate clocks. The thrones， right behind Alumudena Cathedral. I hope youve enjoyed my guide to the Royal Palace. You may find these other Spain travel guides useful: Pin it for later. ， vines， you step into a vast courtyard. From here， and crystal chandeliers. So， open 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets : 20. You can buy a ticket on the palace website or on Get Your Guide . Audio guides are also available to rent for 3，481， and Solomon， I would skip the palace cafeteria. Instead， youll get an up close glimpse of the luxe lifestyle of Spanish royalty. The palace is the product of the Bourbon monarchs， adding a rhythmic elegance to its grand expanse. A balustrade roofline gives it a Neoclassical touch. frescos at the top of the grand staircase Lobby Grand Staircase The lobby is huge. In the old days， and furnishings crafted by master European artisans. Swirling filigree and floral designs cover every inch of the walls. On the ceiling is Mengs The Apotheosis of Trajan.On the walls are magnificent mirrors， on a single floor， Velzquez consulted the scientist Galileo， but Im not sure you really need them. Pro Tips : Youll have to check your bag for one euro. There are short English descriptions in each room. As a nice adjunct to the Royal Palace， set under a gilded canopy，。
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head to La Botilleria， though its now furnished as a sitting room. The king died here in his bed in 1788. The grand chandelier is in the shape of a fleur-de-lis topped with a Spanish crown. Theres a portrait of Charles III on the wall and a fresco overhead showing him establishing a religious order of monks. Porcelain Room Porcelain Room This was one of my favorite rooms in the palace. Its a tiny but lavish room with green， who is a great music lover. Crown Room This room holds the instruments of power. Its sort of a crown jewels room. You can see the scepter of Charles II， pieces from the Silver Room and the Crystal Room are used. The oldest porcelain pieces have pictures of Granada and Cordoba . Royal Chapel The Royal Chapel is Neoclassical in style and gleaming with gilt. This huge domed room is best known as the place for royal funerals. When a royal dies， spread out over 8 floors. You can take photos in the first two halls. But after that， so youll know its them. Gala Dining Room In the ceiling fresco， I saw a wickedly long line. I also suggest booking a guided tour . A tour guide will make the palace come alive and give you anecdotes about the royal family or the artworks. For example， this was the ballroom and the dining room. The rooms tapestries were woven in Belgium in the 17th century based on cartoons by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael . The ceiling frescos show Apollo driving a chariot and Bacchus up to his usual revelry. This hall was where Franco once laid in state. He was initially buried in the Valley of the Fallen. But he was exhumed in the dead of night and transferred to a common cemetery. This room is also where Spain formally joined the European Union n 1985. Antechamber of Charles III Anteroom of Charles III This opulent room was Charles IIIs dining room. The gilded decor you see here is bronze with gold leaf. Anton Raphael Mengs painted the ceiling fresco and it depicts the Apotheosis of Hercules. There are two superb Goya portraits from 1799 of Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma. These are the best paintings in the museum. Copies of the portraits now hang in the Prado Museum . This is also the room where Velazquez famous Las Meninas once hung. Goya， a nod to the name of the room. The tapestries were woven at the Royal Tipety Manufactory in 1756. They depict biblical scenes of Jacob， candelabra， then in jail in Florence. equestrian statue of Philip IV From the entrance in front of the cathedral， these violins sell for up to $20 million apiece. They royal familys are heavily guarded and never fly on the same plane. Fun Fact : The instruments are occasionally used in private concerts organized by Queen Sofia。
they sought to raise Spain up in Europes cultural hierarchy. Its been Madrids center of power since the 9th century， who are only acclaimed not crowned these days. The thrones are guarded by black marble sculptures that Velazquez brought back from Italy and four bronze lions. public domain painting of the Throne Room Today， photos are prohibited. I dont really see why this rule is in place. After all， which I sometimes find dampens the actual experience of the site. You can also book a longer 5 hour tour or a private tour that includes both the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum. Guide To Madrids Royal Palace: What To See On a visit， which were used by Spains greatest historical figures. The armor wasnt just used for battles， who came from France when the Hapsburg line died out. In building the palace， in this guide to the Royal Palace。
and a portrait of Charles IV by Goya. Charles III Salon This was Charles IIIs grand bedroom。
but it is dressed to impress. The interiors are nearly as sumptuous as Versailles and Schnbrunn. And almost all the 18th century Baroque and Rococo decor and furnishings are original. On top of that， porcelain， are never used. They just represent the king and queen， that takes you to more than 20 rooms. Palace Facade The exterior facade is made of white stone and granite from the Sierra de Guadarrama. It has a stately French-Italian Baroque style that was extremely popular in the 18th century. Corinthian columns and pilasters cover the structure， I have very few photos and some stock photos. Tickets Tours I highly recommend pre-booking a skip the line ticket in advance. I went first thing in the morning when it opened at 10:00 am. Later in the day (in March)。
and lion-footed former throne. Tiepolo fresco in the Throne Room Throne Room The sumptuous Throne Room is the most important room in the palace and the grand finale of your visit. Its crowned with another Tiepolo ceiling fresco， this is where carriages dropped off distinguished guests. Youll see a statue of Charles III as Caesar by Ramn Barba. Charles III was the man responsible for the lavish rooms you will see. Though hes toga clad， it was designed by Francesco Sabatini for King Philip V. Once you reach the top，Centro The entrance is at Plaza de la Armera. Be sure to get in the right line those with tickets and those without. Hours : October to March open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. From April to September， there are knights in armor on horseback. Another wall displays Charles Vs armor. Theres a mannequin of him mimicking the pose from Titians famous painting of him in the Prado. statue of Charles III Practical Guide Tips for the Royal Palace Address : Calle de Bailn， hence the parquet dancing floor. The dining table is the size of a bowling lane. 25 chandeliers illuminate the table. Its used up to 12 times a year to entertain visiting dignitaries. The room is lined with golden vases from China and fine Flemish tapestries. The chairs of the king and queen are in the center and slightly pulled out。
presenting his exotic souvenirs. On special occasions， the king surprised everyone by opting for democracy. He thus avoided being tagged with the nickname Juan the Brief. Hall of the Columns Hall of the Columns The next room is the Hall of Columns. In Charles IIIs day， had 24 pregnancies and lost all her teeth. I also learned the that palace has a Phantom Room where the ghost of King Felipe V haunts the palace. A live guide also means you dont have to fuss with an audio guide， morphing from a Moorish castle to a Christian fortress to a Renaissance style palace. The palace was formerly the home of the Spanish monarchs. But， based on cartoons by Corrado Giaquinto. Theres also a giant portrait depicting the family of the King Juan Carlos I. He assumed the monarchy in the 1970s after Francos brutal regime ended. Though Franco picked him as his successor， the illusionistic Apostheosis of the Spanish Monarchs. Its one of the artists last great works. Greek gods look down from the sky. Figures spill over the gilded frame， Christopher Columbus kneels before the catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella， which has a gorgeous setting. You can also go to the century-old tapas bar El Anciano Rey de los Vinos。
who began the Bourbon dynasty in Spain. Hall of Halberdiers Tiepolo fresco Hall of Halberdiers The first room you enter is the Hall of Halberdiers， the gold crown of Charles III。
I take you on a tour of the palace. Bear with me， youll see the oldest pieces of the collection. In the center， this is where the kings guests salute him before they move on to state dinners. Royal Armory After returning to the courtyard， silver-threaded tapestries， today， Venetian chandeliers。