Royal Palace of Madrid

About this place

Built in the 18th century after a fire destroyed the earlier royal residence, this palace expresses the ambitions of Spain's Bourbon monarchy. Look at its imposing stone façades and ceremonial spaces to understand how architecture helped project royal authority. Construction of the replacement palace ran from 1738 to 1755, bringing together architects from Spain and Italy. The site itself has a much longer history, having previously held a Muslim-era fortress and the later royal Alcázar. These successive residences make it a useful place to trace Madrid's changing rulers.