Palacio Real (El Pardo)
The Palacio Real El Pardo ( Spanish "Royal Palace El Pardo") is a castle in the north-west of Madrid and one of the former summer residences of the Spanish royal family.
history
The palace was built under Emperor Charles V , who owned a hunting lodge in the immediate vicinity of the capital and had it expanded considerably. The result was a multi-wing building with an almost square floor plan, which was damaged by a fire in the 18th century to such an extent that under Philip V a new baroque building was considered, which was more than double the area and was grouped around several courtyards. The work was only under Charles III. completed. For the 500th anniversary of the palace in 1983, the so-called Bourbonenhof was covered with a glass roof, which makes it possible to use this courtyard as a ballroom.
The palace, like all the residences of the royal family, was sumptuously furnished. The throne room is decorated with a fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and the castle still houses a large collection of important paintings and other works by Goya .
The palace was modernized and regularly inhabited by Francisco Franco , he also had a lot of stolen art treasures collected here during the Spanish Civil War and received state guests here. In 1947 Evita Perón accepted an invitation to Spain and spent a few days here.
Today the castle serves as a guest house for the Spanish government . Parts of the palace, the palace park , the chapel and the Caudillo's study, as well as his bedroom, are accessible as part of guided tours.
See also
literature
- Juan A. Hernández Ferrero: Palacios reales del Patrimonio Nacional . Editorial Lunwerg, Barcelona 1997, ISBN 84-7120-218-2 .
- German translation: Spanish royal palaces. Evidence of a national history . Könemann, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-8290-2231-X .
Web links
- madridcard.com information (Spanish / German)
- Information about the palace on a Spanish memorial page (English)
Coordinates: 40 ° 31 ′ 17 " N , 3 ° 46 ′ 30.5" W.