Tips 1 - 10 of 29 Madrid Things to Do
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Things To Do: Tour The Royal Palace
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Among the numerous historical spots in Madrid, the Royal Palace is one of the biggest attractions. After all, Madrid is what it is today because, centuries ago, the royals decided to make it their capital and their place of residence.
The Royal Palace on Plaza de Oriente is still the official residence of the Spanish royal family, although they have chosen to live on a daily basis in a more homey but vulgar little palace in the woods outside of the city (Palacio de la Zarzuela). The Royal Palace is currently used for state receptions and other official acts where the Head of State is involved. However, the most important rooms are open to visitors when they are not used for those official purposes. Since individual visits are also allowed, it is, in my opinion, advisable to avoid the rather tedious guided tours and, toting one of the multilingual audio-guides available at the ticket office, marvel at the highlights of the palace at your own pace.
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The Royal Palace is located on the western edge of the plateau where the old city stands. It enjoys, therefore, commanding vistas over the verdant Campo del Moro Gardens and the outlying Casa de Campo, a former hunting ground of the monarchs where even bears were common until well into the 19th century.
The longest façade of the palace overlooks Bailén Street and Orient Place. It is also there that you find the main entrance to the palace through the so-called Arms Courtyard (Patio de la Armería). This ceremonial courtyard opens to the most monumental of the façades and faces the pastiche-ish Almudena cathedral, creating one of the most attractive (in an impressive, un-cosy way) squares in Madrid.
The intense traffic of Bailén Street runs now through an underground tunnel, which makes the palace much more accessible from Orient Square. During the construction of this tunnel, the only remains of the Arab wall of the city were discovered. (Most of these rests were destroyed, but the little part that was preserved can be visited in the underground parking).
On the Bailen façade, you can see the famous balcony that was used by the royals and, particularly, by the former fascist dictator Franco to greet the crowds that rallied at Orient Place to support his regime.
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Royal Palace: Explore the Interior of the Palace
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The interior of the palace is opulently decorated with masterworks by numerous Spanish and Italian artists. Antique furniture, gaudy decorations, stuccos, china, golden clocks, mirrors, oriental fantasies, Murano lamps... anything you imagine that belongs in a real royal palace is there in excess, contributing to the true Rococo delirium that the overall atmosphere conveys.
You can start your tour with a visit of the Royal Pharmacy, placed in one of the annexes of the building. It hosts an impressive collection of pottery, crystal and amazing remedies used in past centuries to heal the ailments of the Court.
Other highlights of the palace include the exuberant Throne hall, the majestic Hall of Columns, the Royal Armoury and the Stradivarius Room, which hosts one of the finest collections in the world of those stringed instruments.
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Royal Palace: Learn About the History of the Palace
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The earliest origins of the Royal Palace are to be found in a small fortress built by the Arabs in the Early Middle Ages. This Alcázar was chosen by the Habsburgs as their main residence in Madrid and grew according to the austere and pious likings of that’s royal family. Soon after the Bourbons acceded to the Spanish throne in the 18th century, the Alcázar was ravaged by a big fire. That was in benefit of the new king, Philip V, who used to the splendour of Versailles, was having a hard time in adapting to the darkness of his new Madrileño palace.
A totally new palace was built from the ashes of the old alcazar, following the fashion of the French absolutist monarchy. The new building was completely made of stone, in order to prevent future fires, and was not finished until the reign of Charles III. The best architects from throughout Europe were brought to Madrid for the construction of the palace. Among them, the architects Juvara, Sachetti, Ventura Rodríguez and Sabatini are the most outstanding. Every monarch made his own contribution to the palace, commissioning works to the best artists of their time, including Tiepolo, who painted several fabulous frescoes, Goya, Rubens and many others.
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Royal Palace: Take a Stroll in the "Field of the Moor" Gardens
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The so-called Campo del Moro Gardens existed already by the time of Philip II, but their present appearance dates back to the 19th century. It is a long walk from the main entrance of the Palace, but definitely worth it, as they provide one of the most attractive perspectives of the palace, particularly in the late afternoon.
The Carriage museum is also located in this part of the gardens and displays a magnificent collection of historical royal carriages.
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Sabatini Gardens: Relax in the Sabatini Gardens
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Situated on the north side of the palace, on the exact location where the old Royal Stables used to stand, the Sabatini Gardens are a perfect spot for a restful break during the exhausting sightseeing tours in Madrid. They offer spectacular views of the North façade of the Palace, vegetal mazes, sculptures, a small reflecting pond and tons of tranquility.
The gardens are named after Sabatini, an Italian architect who contributed largely to the design of the Royal Palace. He became the King's favorite architect already in Naples, before he acceded as Charles III to the Spanish throne after the death of his brother Ferdinand VI. Oddly enough, Sabatini did not design the gardens (he had indeed designed the former stables that were replaced by the gardens, though).
The Sabatini Gardens were actually laid down in the 20th century, after the model of the classical French gardens. Again oddly enough, Spain was a republic at that time, short before the outbreak of the civil war.
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Unlike most of the Spanish historic cities, Madrid has not had a monumental cathedral until very recently. When philip II chose Madrid as the capital of the empire, it was such an insignificant town that it was not even a bishop's seat. The plans to build a cathedral in Madrid date back to this period, but were slowed by the powerful bishops of Toledo, from which the city of Madrid was dependant.
The creation of the diocese of Madrid was only achieved in the XIX century. It was then that the plans to build a cathedral opposite the royal palace took a new impetus under the sponsoring of King Alfons XII.
The original plans foresaw the construction of a Neo-Gothic church, following the fashion of the 19th century. Later on, it was decided that a classicist exterior would fit better into the environment. In particular, it would match better with the façade of the Royal Palace. Although many people see it as pastiche, it cannot be denied that it completes the monumental appearance of the Royal Palace in an admirable way.
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Historical cathedrals in Spain are the result of adding multiple works of art in different styles to a building which becomes almost a living entity, as it evolves constantly according to the changes in the society. That is also the case of the newer Almudena cathedral in Madrid.
The interior of the church hardly matches its external appearance. The original Neo-Gothic plans were carried out in the interior, resulting in a cold-ish and austere building that would be easily identified with a North European Lutheran cathedral rather than with the overwhelmingly decorated traditional Spanish cathedrals. The Almudena cathedral, however, is gradually getting a different appearance, with bright coloured ceilings and new decorations being added. The light filters through the alabaster of the dome windows and enhances the brightness of its colours.
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Plaza de Oriente: Wander Around Orient Square
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This large crescent-shaped garden separates the opera and the Royal Palace and, therefore is one of the most popular spots of Madrid with tourists. It is believed that its name refers to the fact that the square faces the Eastern façade of the Royal Palace. Oddly enough, the Royal Palace has become known as Orient Palace for assimilation with the Square's name, despite the fact that it is located in the Occident of the city.
The present configuration of Orient Square was laid down in the 19th century by Narciso Pascual. It is presided by a 17th century bronze statue of King Philip IV by Pietro Tacca, which is said to be the first equestrian statue where the horse stands only on two hooves.
In the gardens, you will also find some rather crude statues depicting various early Spanish Kings. They are locally known as the Goth Kings, but some of the first Christian Kings after the Reconquista are also represented. Not that the artist who sculpted them were not skilful enough, but they simply were not designed to be observed from the ground perspective. They make part of a collection that included all the Spanish kings, intended to decorate the roof of the adjacent Royal Palace. For fear that the structure of the building would not support their weight, the sculptures were recycled for the "ornamentation" of different gardens and parks in the city, including Orient Square, the Sabatini Gardens and the Retiro Park.
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The Royal Theatre hosts Madrid's opera house and counterbalances the monumental façade of the Royal Palace on the opposite side of Orient Square. It was built in the 19th century under the sponsoring of Queen Elizabeth II, following plans of Antonio López Aguado and Custodio Moreno, who designed an elegant and austere building inspired by the great Italian theatres like La Scala or San Carlo. In the interior of the hexagon-shaped building the impressive Royal loggia, designed to cater for the needs of the monarchs, is worth of admiration. The Theatre was inaugurated in 1850 with the occasion of the queen's birthday. The chosen opera for that event was La Favorita by Donizetti.
The Royal Theatre has had a tormented history since its very opening. Due to mismanagement, it was a complete economic fiasco. Damaged by fires and general decay, it had to be closed in the early 20th century. It was restored decades later but, due to the lack of funds, only as a concert hall. From that time it hosted such prosaic events as the only Eurovision Song Contest ever held in Spain, in 1969.
Only in the 1990's a new restoration project allowed for the transformation of the theatre into a proper Opera house. This last remodelling project was particularly controversial: it took many more years than it was expected; and resignations, accidents and scandals were common during that time, feeding the legend of a supposedly haunted theatre full of phantoms of the opera. Fortunately, since the reopening, Madrid has rediscovered its place in the world map of the queen of performing arts.
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Destinations near Madrid- Hortaleza, 8.52 km / 5.29 miles
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 Comments for DanielF about Madrid | | | | |
chicabonita Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:07 UTC
Great pictures! | aeroarce Tue Jan 30, 2007 19:07 UTC
Thank you for the words you say about my city. very good Tips specially the General tips! | Jetgirly Tue Sep 5, 2006 21:55 UTC
Great photos- that hotel looks like it just radiates heat. I must say that the NH in Marbella was one of the worst hotels I've ever stayed in... the staff seemed to share about ten brain cells! | MM212 Mon Jul 24, 2006 09:10 UTC
Great collection of architectural photos! |
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