A palace for the Spanish dynasties
The Madrid Royal Palace is one the most interesting and best conserved palaces in Europe. Situated where the city of Madrid originally began, it has been since then, one of the most important places for political and social events for each of the different Spanish dynasties which lived in Madrid and its surroundings.
In the image we can see the splendid “plaza de armas” from which we can enter the interior of the palace. The Italian architect Francesco Sabatini, who worked for the Spanish royalty in the 18th century, borrowed this type of “plaza de armas” from the French. On occasions, we can enjoy military parades and also we can witness the “Presentation of the Credentials to the King” from a splendid gate given that the palace closes to the public on such ceremonial occasions.
After visiting the Royal Rooms, we will enter what is considered one of the best royal armouries in Europe. Situated at a corner of the “Plaza de armas”, it is very close to Madrid Cathedral and the leafy scenery that surrounds the royal site. In the armoury’s interior, the visitor finds oneself in the middle of 400 years of history. Armour, breastplates, shields, lances or flintlock firearms used in both war and various royal celebrations. A feast for the eyes.
An entrance like no other
Once inside the royal palace, we find ourselves at the palatial entrance where it’s hard to know where to look so as not to miss such beauty. We begin by meeting the majestic statue of Carlos III in ancient Roman attire, symbolic of the royal power the monarchy liked to exercise. The sculptor, Pierre Michel, knew how to capture the illustrious bearing that this king liked to project.
In front of this statue is an imposing staircase, a work of art sprung from the mind of Sabatini. We realise just how comfortable it is to walk up these stairs. One of the reasons is that the steps were designed to ease the ascent of guests carried on litters, popular in those times. As we ascend, we pass lions of stone, silent guardians, who again project the strength of a monarch so different from those who had come before him. At the end of the stairs we meet another powerful king, of the House of the Bourbons, Felipe V.
Reaching for heaven
Upon entering the royal palace, our attention is drawn to infinite arches that speak to us of gods, heroes and the king’s own baroque or illustrated symbols. We meet the artists contracted by these kings who speak to us of how the country governed by these monarchs protected religion with a fresco by Giaquinto in which the light brings us closer to the figures that form it.
Painters took advantage of the angles that the architecture bequeathed to embody legends, myths or references to the kings for whom they worked. Mengs, Tiepolo or Bayeu, among others of equal importance, knew how to understand this royal symbolism that the monarchs required through the different reigns.
Light and tapastries
Each one of the rooms we visit in the royal palace has its own special ceiling lamp, specially created for it. Much of these lamps are of French make and are constructed of crystal and bronze. Some of these, like in the Throne Room, have had the bronze replaced for silver and was chosen specially by Carlos III to decorate this room.
All of the Spanish Royal Sites have a spectacular collection of tapestries which were made to decorate the halls and rooms in order to protect the various palaces from the winter or autumn cold. In the Royal Palace we can see some based on tapestry sketches by Rubens in the 18th century, who was incidentally, one of Felipe IV’s favourite painters, the king who resided in the palace during the Hapsburg dynasty.
Now a days, in the city of Madrid, one can visit La Real Fábrica de Tapices de Santa Bárbara, the place where many of these tapestries which adorn many palaces and monasteries throughout Spain were made. Here in the Fábrica, one can enjoy a guided visit where the process of creating a tapestry from a great artist’s sketch is explained.
