Royal Palace of El Pardo

The Royal Palace of El Pardo (Spanish: Palacio Real de El Pardo, pronounced [paˈla.θjo reˈal de el ˈpaɾðo]) is a historic building near Madrid, Spain, in the present-day district of Fuencarral-El Pardo. It is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency. It serves as the state guest house of the Spanish Government.

Royal Palace of El Pardo
Native name
Spanish: Palacio Real de El Pardo
LocationMadrid, Spain
Official name: Palacio Real de El Pardo
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated1931
Reference no.RI-51-0001062
Location of Royal Palace of El Pardo in Spain
Royal Palace of El Pardo
Lateral facade of the palace, both with the Patio de los Austrias.

Overview

The palace began as a royal hunting lodge. It became an alternative residence of the kings of Spain until the reign of King Alfonso XII of Spain, who died in the palace in 1885.

King Enrique III of Castile ordered the building of the pavilion in 1406, on Mount El Pardo, because of its abundant game. Later, in the time of Emperor Charles V (1547), it was transformed into a palace by the architect Luis de Vega. On 13 March 1604, a massive fire destroyed many of the paintings, including masterpieces by Titian. King Carlos III of Spain renovated the building in the 18th century, appointing his architect Francesco Sabatini to undertake the job.

The interior decoration includes a ceiling frescoed by Gaspar Becerra, and paintings by Vincenzo Carducci and Cabrera.

In 1739 the palace hosted talks between the governments of Britain and Spain, who eventually agreed to the Convention of Pardo in a bid to avert a war. However, the Convention failed to prevent war breaking out shortly afterwards.

Dictator Francisco Franco lived in the palace after the Spanish Civil War.

Access

Since Franco's death, the building has been used as a residence for visiting heads of state. When not in use by VIPs, it is open to the public. Objects on display include tapestries made by the Royal Tapestry Factory. Goya was one of the artists who designed tapestries for the palace with dimensions corresponding to specific locations in the building.[1]

See also

References
  1. "The flower girls (Las floreras)". Retrieved 2019-11-18.

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