Carlos I and Phillip II were the instigators of this palace, which is rectangular in layout with towers on the corners and a central courtyard, very similar to other Spanish Alcázar buildings from the same period. It houses a splendid collection of Spanish and Flemish tapestries and luxury furnishings, almost all in the Imperial style.
Its architects
The first plans were drawn up by Luis de Vega, commissioned by Carlos I. The work was subsequently continued by Juan de Vergara, Francisco de Mora and Juan Gómez de Mora.
The building
The exterior of the building is divided into three parts: a granite plinth, the brick wall and the roof. The wood for the rafters was taken from Valsain and Serranía de Cuenca national park. Among its main features are the doors and windows framed with sculpted stone and the structure of the main doorway.
It is located at a distance of 6 kilometres from Madrid, surrounded by holm oaks in the Monte de El Pardo forest, which is located north of the capital, with almost 16,000 hectares of Mediterranean forest.
Address:
Paseo de El Pardo s/n
28048 El Pardo
Madrid
Tel. nos. 913761136
Display on GoogleMaps
The origins of El Pardo Palace go back to a Royal Residence commissioned by Henry III of Castile on this plot in 1405. Later on, Henry IV had a small castle built at this location. The reasons that led Carlos I to build a two-storey palace as a place for recreation and rest on the site of the small castle were his love of hunting and the proximity of the Monte del Pardo forest. Phillip II enhanced the construction started by his father, finishing the work in the year 1568. Phillip II ordered that the roofs of the palace should be made of slates in the Flemish style and did not spare any effort or expense in embellishing the building with works by painters like Titian, Sánchez Coello or Antonio Moro.
The Palace was gutted by fire in 1604 and many of its valuable collections were destroyed. The reconstruction of the Palace of El Pardo was carried out by Phillip III and subsequently by Phillip IV. 18th century. Under the reign of Carlos III, it reached its height of splendour, becoming the Royal Family's winter residence. Carlos III carried out further extensions and improvements to the Palace, notably linking the Royal Chapel to the Palace via a bridge.
Carlos IV lived in the palace while he was Prince of Asturias. The seasonal tapestries used to decorate the monarch's dining-room date from this time.
In 1772, the palace was enlarged and furnished according to the neoclassical style of the time. It was filled with tapestries, some of which were Flemish from the 17th century and others from the looms of the Royal Factory of Santa Bárbara. There are 17th century tapestries from Brussels of great artistic value.
King Ferdinand VI was extremely dedicated to the palace, extending the grassland and building a gateway with three entrances to facilitate access. Over the years, the Palace fell into disrepair, a situation that continued until the reign of Alphonsus XII, who took charge of refurbishing El Pardo so that it might be used as the place of residence for Christina of Hapsburg in the days prior to her wedding with the king. Years later, Alphonsus XII was to die in this palace.
During the reign of Alphonsus XIII, the Palace served as the accommodation for Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg before her wedding to the king. This king carried out some alterations to the building, making it a centre of agricultural research and experiments.
It was sealed off when the Second Republic was proclaimed. During the Spanish Civil War, it became the headquarters of the International Brigades and suffered the consequences of the armed conflict. When the war was over, it became the official residence of the previous Head of State for around 40 years. In 1967 a major refurbishment operation was carried out, under the guidance of the architect Ramón Andrada.
In 1976, King Juan Carlos I turned it into an open museum. Nowadays, as well as its function as a museum, it is used as the residence of the Heads of State on official visits to Spain. It is also the venue for numerous official and formal events: official dinners, receptions, prize-awarding ceremonies, concerts.
Prince's Residence
It was built during the reign of Carlos III to be used as a hunting pavilion. King Carlos IV and his wife María Luisa turned the building into a little palace. To decorate it, they invited the best artists of the time, such as Bayeu, Goya's father-in-law, who painted the dining-room ceilings.
Convent of Our Lady of the Angels
(The Christ of El Pardo)
Constructed in the year 1612 by King Phillip III. Its initial architecture was totally transformed in the year 1948. It houses paintings by the painters Bartolomé González, Francisco Ricci and Lucas Jordán.
The Holy Christ of El Pardo was commissioned by Phillip III to celebrate the birth of his son. It is by the sculptor Gregorio Fernández.
Palace of the Zarzuela
Located on the El Pardo Road, it is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family. It was built by Juan Gómez de la Mora in 1634.
Tourist offices
Madrid City Council tourist office
Plaza Mayor, 3
Tel. nos. 915882900
Community of Madrid tourist offices
Barajas Airport (international arrivals)
Tel. nos. 913058656
Puerta de Toledo Market
902100007 and 913641876
Chamartin Railway Station
Tel. no. 913159976
Other information of interest
Madrid City Council
Plaza de la Villa, 5
For any information: Telephone no. 010
Autonomous Community of Madrid
Department of the Presidency
Puerta del Sol, 7
Citizen support line: 012
Municipal District of Fuencarral-El Pardo
Avenida Monforte de Lemos, 40
28029 Madrid
Tel. no. 915886800
915886802 and 915886804
FAX 915885173
El Pardo auxiliary office
(Seconded to Madrid City Council)
Plaza del Caudillo, 2
Royal Site of El Pardo
28048 Madrid
Tel. nos. 913760056 and 913761505
Alphonsus XII Integrated Centre
C/ Mira el Río, 4
Royal Site of El Pardo
28048 Madrid
Tel. nos. 913762060 and 913762062
FAX 913762063
City Council
www.munimadrid.es
Spanish National Heritage
www.patrimonionacional.es
