Turismo Natural

HISTORY: THE ROYAL PALACE OF MADRID

Feb 9, 2010 Capital, Capitals, Town, Towns, Culture, History, Madrid, Tourism, Tourism

The Royal Palace of Madrid has its origins in the 9^th century when the Muslim kingdom of Toledo built a fort which was later used by the kings of Castilla and on which the Fortress was built in the 16th century. It was destroyed in a fire in 1734 and Philip V of Spain wanted the new palace to be built on the same spot.

Today, the Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of His Majesty the King, although it is only used for State ceremonies. The present Royal family of Spain have lived in the Zarzuela Palace since 1962, Alphonse XIII being the last monarch to have lived there.

The Royal Palace of Madrid is a beautiful piece of architecture in the centre of the city and surrounded by wonderful, generous gardens: to the west is the Campo del Moro, in front of the palace lays the Plaza de Oriente Gardens and to the north the Sabatini Gardens.

This palace is open to the public, so apart from being marvelled by the exterior, do visit it inside.

There are quite a lot of artists (musicians, artists, photographers, etc.) on the promenade between the Royal Palace and the Plaza del Oriente, making them another tourist attraction in themselves.

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