Palacio Real, Madrid

Palacio Real is the immense palace before you, built for Spain’s monarchy and now chiefly used for state ceremonies. Its construction began after fire destroyed the former Alcázar, and the replacement rose between 1738 and 1755 on the same site. The building covers over 135,000 m2 and contains 3,418 rooms, making it the largest palace in Western Europe.

The façade facing the Plaza de la Armería combines a heavy rusticated stone base with Ionic columns set against Tuscan pilasters. Look at the repeated windows and the disciplined rhythm of the masonry: this is arquitectura barroca, shaped through the work of Filippo Juvara, Juan Bautista Sachetti, and Francesco Sabatini. The interior holds ceremonial rooms, works by Velázquez, Goya, Caravaggio, and other major artists, along with the Royal Armoury and an extraordinary musical treasure: a complete quintet of Stradivarius strings, unique anywhere in the world. The palace is not the royal family’s home; it is their official residence, while its rooms serve public ceremony and preserve an extraordinary concentration of courtly art.