Video Guide of The Royal Palace of Madrid

national heritage welcomes you to the royal palace of madrid the official residence of their highnesses the king and queen of spain this splendid building is one of the most important palaces in europe over the course of the visit you will be able to see the unique beauty of its art collections including sumptuous furniture delicate fabrics and silk embroideries the unmatched bronze collection lamps and tapestries beautiful paintings and sculptures and the frescoes on the ceiling the palace today continues to host major state events official audiences and receptions gala banquets thrown by the head of state for foreign dignitaries the signing of major international agreements or the traditional ceremony where foreign ambassadors present their credentials to his majesty the king this monument is run by national heritage an institution of the state general administration responsible for the possessions of the spanish crown's legacy including 21 royal palaces monasteries and convents in turn containing over one hundred and fifty four thousand works of art along with historical gardens forests and other natural areas please continue on to the plaza de la armeria location number two in this guide [Music] at 12 noon on the first wednesday of each month the drums and the sound of horses hooves announced the solemn changing of the royal guard this tradition has been kept alive since the 19th century even when the king and queen were no longer in residence since the site has now become a museum palace although the current monarchs no longer reside here the palace continues to host official royal events as we will go on to see over our visit that begins 600 years ago this site was the location of a muslim fortress in the middle ages following the christian conquest in the 11th century the castilian kings built on the muslim fortress and turned it into a grand castle you can see what this defensive construction looked like from the image displayed on your screens it continued to be known as the alcazar or castle in spanish even when it became the royal residence of emperor charles v and his habsburg descendants over the 16th and 17th centuries years later on new year's eve of 1734 it was burnt to the ground in a terrible fire philip v the first bourbon king decided to build a new palace on the remains of the royal alcasa 11 meters below our feet is the first stone that was laid in 1738 as was inscribed on this stone the new royal palace was built for all eternity the only word used in its construction was for the doors and windows in order to prevent another fire the king commissioned the services of the best architect in europe at the time for the palace's construction the italian architect filippo huvara was chosen to design an immense and sprawling building however huvara died prematurely so the project was taken on by another architect his disciple giovanni batista zacchetti the king insisted that the building occupy the exact same land as the habsburg al-qasa as testament to his dynasties legitimacy therefore saquetti transformed houvara's original project into a massive vertical building capable of housing the royal family all the court and the ministerial offices the resulting architectural design is characteristic of the late baroque period and had a great influence on spanish architecture at the time lastly let's look at the main facade the throne room is located behind the central balcony in the same place where the former hall of mirrors stood in the royal alcasa if we look up from this point and slightly to the left we can see the sculptures of philip v the king who began construction of the new palace and of ferdinand vi the king who completed the vast building worked 17 years later and at the highest point the bells of the old royal alcasa continue to toll the lobby is the main entrance to the palace over the centuries many foreign ambassadors and dignitaries have entered here and the tradition continues today here at the foot of the staircase the carriages would stop as they still do today so this hall needed to convey the power of the monarchy the statue of king charles iii dressed as a roman emperor helped to construct this image it was placed here as a reminder of the exceptional nature of the rulers of spain and the values inherited by the bourbons the successors of the habsburg dynasty it also reminds us that the first king to live in the palace was not its creator philip v but his son charles iii who made the palace his residence in 1764. this king was popularly known as the good mayor of madrid and the decoration of most of these rooms dates from his period the palace staircase allowed for a comfortable and ceremonious ascent with shallow steps on grand occasions it is decorated as you can see on your screen each step was made from a single large piece of spanish marble five meters long at the end of the value straight adding a touch of drama one of the lions is in an active pose while the other is shown in repose these are the two sides of power which can use its strength or control it when necessary the lion is also a symbol of spain from this height the ceiling fresco is visible the italian painter corrado de quinto depicts the 18th century spanish monarchy lifted up and protected by religion and the church at the end of the staircase two marble busts depict the monarchs who began this huge building project philip v and his second wife the italian elizabeth farnese three centuries have passed since a king came from france to continue the tradition of royal residence in this palace [Music] above our heads there are wispy clouds and a red glow lighting up the lower left part of the vaulted ceiling this is the forge of the god vulcan who is forging the weapons that will help aeneas win a war and with it immortality aeneas the mythological hero depicted in the center had escaped from the ruins of troy to the land which would become rome according to the myth in this scene he is preparing for the battle which would mark the origin of the roman people next to aeneas is his mother the goddess venus who asked falcon to make weapons to protect her son the important role of venus is an allegory of how queen elizabeth farnese encouraged the italian conquests of her son charles iii who is identified with the trojan hero to the right of the forge mars god of war waits expectantly for the arms his helmet and shield and the overall military theme of the painting by tiapolo reminds us of the historical use of this room the austerely decorated hallbartiers hall takes its name from the royal guards who were based in this room [Music] as we continue our visit we will see more wonderful frescoes by jambatista tiepolo an italian painter brought by charles iii to decorate the palace in madrid where he would spend the rest of his life along with his family music dancing and elaborate food and drink were provided here to entertain dignitaries and other illustrious guests although now it looks quite different this room was where state banquets were first held in the palace until the creation of a new banqueting hall which we will see later the room is now used for state occasions such as receptions concerts or signing important documents here's working juan carlos signed the law marking his abdication and passing the throne to his son philip the sixth the present king of spain in two thousand fourteen the treaty in which spain joined the european community was also signed here in nineteen eighty five a plaque commemorates the event under the central statue of the holy roman emperor charles v vanquishing fury this work another allusion to the habsburg dynasty is a replica the original is in the prado the huge chandeliers statues and rugs and the important set of tapestries depicting the acts of the apostles complete the decoration in the design and layout of the rooms in the palace each member of the royal family had their own apartment the apartments consisted of groups of rooms with specific functions with access becoming gradually more restricted the series of rooms would become more private and entering them would become more of a privilege following the burgundian etiquette inherited from the habsburgs the king's apartments began here in this ante room designed for holding ordinary audiences this was also where the king would take breakfast attended by the court according to protocol the ceremony included ambassadors servants ministers and other close advisors these rooms were decorated with exquisite care from top to bottom from the painted vault and the chandeliers to the side tables and the mirrors the tapestries and paintings the seats and the hangings throughout these rooms we will see what the different monarchs contributed to their decoration and the works of art acquired in commission to adorn them this room was where the king had supper but he also used it for conversations with his family and members of the court so it was also known as the conversation room as in most of the rooms in the palace the walls were covered with tapestries in winter to help keep them warm in summer they were taken down and paintings were hung instead here the works are by titian van dijk and velasquez the blue silk and yellow motifs now covering the walls was put up in the early 19th century but the room is particularly notable for its portraits of charles iv and his wife maria luisa of parma painted by goya these are two pairs of portraits where the aragonese artist precisely expresses the character of the couple eliminating any symbolic elements or accessories and simplifying the composition goya was able to capture the expressions of the king and queen [Music] we can see charles iv and maria luisa of parma just as they were thanks to the mastery of francisco de goya the artist's intense gaze transmits with pinpoint accuracy the essence of these figures an explosion of undulating shapes in the form of leaves stems flowers and chinoiserie motifs floods this room from top to toe it is an homage to the beauty of nature and eastern art often found in the cheerful rococo style which was used to decorate this room in the time of charles iii the decoration is so dominant that the room also goes by the name of the artist who created it the italian matia gasparini due to its complexity the decoration took a long time to complete and was eventually finished 55 years later it has remained practically untouched since then on the floor gasparini designed colored marble inlays in plant motifs the same motifs spread over the upholstery of the seats and walls embroidered in silver guilt the ceiling features reliefs in stucco a lime marble and plaster paste which could be molded into decorative figures these reliefs were inspired by oriental prince and porcelain the shepherd's clock is one of the most exquisite clocks in the national heritage collection of over seven hundred for many different countries and periods it is stunning not only for its beautiful case and delicate figures it is also a complex mechanism with different movements and music for each element which is still working after more than 260 years the skills of its creator the swiss clock maker jacket grows had already made him famous in his own country when he decided to visit spain knowing that king ferdinand vi was interested in clocks he chose three of his best and transported them dismantled by mule on a journey of over one thousand six hundred kilometers including crossing the pyrenees when he finally got to madrid he could not meet the king who was away in our runways 50 kilometers to the south of this palace after many obstacles he was finally able to show the monarch his clocks ferdinand vi fascinated by automata was so captivated by his work that he bought all three this room displays another of these three clocks depicting the fable of the stork and the fox [Music] next to their bedroom kings would often have a small chapel where they could pray this was the main function of this room in the time of charles iii but it also had some furniture for the use of his valet a table chair and bed the valet or gentleman of the chamber had to sleep close to the king in case he was needed in the middle of the night at that time the room was called the dark room of charles iii but it is now known as the tram of charles iii because its long rectangular shape is so similar to a tram car [Music] on december 14 1788 king charles iii died here in what was then his bedroom years later his grandson ferdinand vii paid homage to him in this room he decorated it to symbolize the order of charles iii the order of charles iii had been established by the king to distinguish people who had done something to benefit the country alongside the golden fleece it is now the most important decoration granted in spain in the painting mariano salvador maya chose charles iii in the habit of the order he had created looking up we can see the story of that creation depicted on the ceiling this room is unique for the porcelain plaques which cover the walls from floor to ceiling as you can see on the screen the plaques were fixed with screws to wooden lathes which covered the walls and ceiling this meant it was quick and easy to put them up and to take them down facilitating their conservation during the spanish civil war the 18th century fascination with porcelain began with the pieces from the far east that arrived via the major trade routes however nobody in europe knew how it was made the secret was in the materials used kaolin a white clay and feldspar a mineral they had to be mixed in a specific proportion and fired at high temperatures for a very precise time to get pieces as fine and tough as the ones made in china [Music] starting with the holy roman emperor charles v the spanish monarchs had shown a notable fascination with these precise machines made up of complex mechanisms and automata that still work today [Music] their sophistication offered much more than simply telling the time some of them gave information on the tides changes in atmospheric pressure the seasons or the lunar cycle clocks were the high technology of the era their high precision workmanship and luxury materials made them true works of art [Music] the case of this piece represents atlas a young titan who zeus condemned to bear the weight of the sky on his shoulders inside we can see the signature of the swiss clockmaker abraham louis breguet who specialized in precision clocks [Music] the spaces corresponding to the queen's apartments begin from this room according to the norms of the day kings and queens had separate apartments or sets of rooms even if they lived as a couple the functions of this particular room have varied over time it is now notable for its furniture made in the era of charles iv the chairs were designed by jean de mosten du gork a french decorator who had worked in versailles and other european courts the chairs were made of fine-grained woods such as box mahogany and ebony making it possible to play with the different tones and create decorative motifs such as figures and borders you can see the quality of the detail on your this screen table which could seat up to 130 guests was the centerpiece of state banquets but it was sometimes removed as this space was also used for dancing this is why the whole table around 40 meters long is made of boards and can be dismantled as we saw the start of the visit this room became the state banqueting hall relatively recently until 1879 banquets were held in the hall of columns king alphonse xii decided to remodel this space which had previously been three rooms making up the queen's apartments the traces of the three rooms can still be seen in the three vaults of the ceiling however the architect who remodeled the space jose segundo delema was able to give it coherence through its decoration it was in the french taste that was then fashionable in the courts of europe with a series of gilded neo-baroque reliefs on the walls the floor is a geometric design in different colored woods which was the height of fashion at the time today banquets are still held here with the king and queen seated opposite each other according to french protocol as you can see on the screen their chairs are slightly taller than the others the most notable part of the decoration is the series of 16th century tapestries made in brussels showing the story of vertumnus and pomona the oldest in the palace there are also important 19th century sev bronze and porcelain vases and 18th century chinese jars the gala dinners in the banqueting hall have always been accompanied by music played in this room today the musicians hall displays a set of table centerpieces or desserts made in the 18th century before the hall was created to organize the distribution of the food it would be put in bowls and dishes which gradually became decorative objects interest gradually grew in center pieces which would be purely decorative such as the desserts these were architectural or sculptural elements which could be combined in various ways today they are occasionally used singly and can be seen in the photo of the wedding banquet of the present king and queen of spain [Music] by the 18th century the spanish monarchs had accumulated a considerable number of silver objects philip v sold many of them to finance the war of succession others disappeared in the fire that destroyed the alcazar of madrid and many were melted down and made into new pieces only a few have survived for us to see such as the tray in the first display case on your left this is the oldest piece in the room and gives us a glimpse of court life also among the oldest pieces are this pair of plate warmers decorated with the coat of arms of charles iv the arms adjust to fit the plates which are set over the wick like the ladles and sauce pans these utensils were placed on the dining room table the table settings like our modern tableware also include items for breakfast or afternoon tea for example the man serena or trendlers a type of saucer used for serving chocolate one of the two man's arenas on display holds a white porcelain cup like much of the collection it was made by the famous madrid silver workshop founded by the royal family the pieces in the next display suggest a more intimate moment in an appropriate place for its use as this room was the dressing room of queen maria isabel of portugal the ewell and basin at the top were used for washing just below alongside various boxes and jars for cosmetics is a small oval tray to hold brushes although it is part of the dressing table set given to maria isabel of portugal you can see the royal monogram of isabelle ii a reminder that these luxurious objects were passed to other generations from this gallery we can see the prince's courtyard and understand how the rooms are laid out the ground floor rooms had a political function and housed the state secretariats the main floor where we are now housed the royal family's apartments the most important rooms faced outwards while the secondary rooms looked onto the gallery finally the upper floors with lower ceilings were the living quarters of the staff who worked in the palace from this exceptional viewpoint where members of the court would meet we can also see the entrance arches which are wider than the others on either side of these two arches are statues of four emperors linked to the history of roman hispania by family or by birth they are theodosius onorius trajan and arcadius before entering the royal chapel we can stop for a look at the relicary this small chapel holds valuable objects notable for their fine metal work the strong room holds some pieces from the visigothic treasure of wa rasar dated to the 6th and 7th centuries it consists of votive crowns and crosses from the visigothic kingdom of toledo these are metal work items that were not created for use but as a religious offering by the visigoth kings the clooney museum in paris and the national archaeological museum in madrid hold the other items in this set [Music] the tallest room in the palace is this royal chapel covered by an impressive dome which seems to float weightlessly over the space the effect was created by the architect zacchetti and by corrado de quinto the artist who painted the fresco the columns in black marble from the maniaria quarries of the basque country accentuate the verticality of the space the arches cornice and oculi are decorated with gilded stucco moldings in geometric and plant forms the graceful poses of the sculpted angels also in stucco add elegance and movement to the composition and appear to merge with the painted figures in the dome corrado quinto creates a trump loy effect skillfully simulating an open space leading to heaven the setting for the coronation of the virgin this sumptuous image summing up the splendor of the late baroque was essential to lend significance to one of the most important spaces in the palace [Music] religious services were held here every day but above all it was where the most important ceremonies would be held with the king and queen in attendance for this reason the chapel had to be a large open space which would impress and thrill the viewer at the same time it had to highlight the role of the monarchs who sat on large chairs under a canopy the main altar stands to the right of the entrance with an altarpiece by ramon bayeux depicting the archangel michael over the side altar opposite the door is an enunciation the last work by charles the third's court painter anton raphael mainz the organ was also made in the 18th century and was very technically advanced for its period it still works today and is used for concerts we can appreciate the quality of its sound by listening to this piece of music as we move on to the next room [Music] the small town of cremona close to milan has been famous since the 17th century for the work of its loutiers craftsmen who make string instruments the most prestigious of them was antonio stradivari who created instruments that according to the experts offered unrivaled sound quality stradivari made these four string instruments a quartet consisting of two violins a viola and a cello masterpieces that are still played on important occasions such as the concerts held in the hall of columns [Music] this room displays the symbols of the spanish monarchy they include items of special importance such as the scepter and crown like the throne they were made in the time of charles the third but apart from their age craftsmanship and valuable materials the value of these objects resides in their capacity to represent the monarchy for example the color of the golden fleece has been linked to the spanish crown since the habsburg era all these pieces are the original objects which have been used by the spanish monarchs in the most solemn ceremonies as a detail from recent history in this room you can see documents from the succession of june 2014 the state law validating the abdication of juan carlos the first and the proclamation speech of his son the present king philip vi the room also holds the sphinx table one of the finest items of furniture in the palace and the most representative example of the empire style some of the most important documents of the history of spain were signed on it [Music] this small room is one of the most elegant in the palace its walls and vaulted ceiling inspired by the decorations of roman villas evoked the architecture of classical antiquity in 1791 its designers were aware of the latest archaeological finds from pompei and herculaneum the decoration of this room is similar to the grand houses of those sites walls divided into large horizontal and vertical bands with plant motifs birds and garlands of flowers in a delicate linear style [Music] although it was not created for this function this space has been used for the musicians to play in during official receptions here they played the pieces that welcomed the guests while they climbed the central arm of the staircase it is called the camon de la scalera or landing and its decoration is an exaltation of the monarchy the ceiling painted by corrado jakinto depicts hercules raising the columns of gibraltar before neptune the columns that marked the extent of the spanish empire here we can also see the statue of charles iv as a roman emperor this work reinforces the idea of the special character and worth of spanish rulers demonstrated since antiquity and the inheritor of a long tradition this part of the palace is now reserved for official events its rooms are laid out in the same way as the ones we've already seen an anti-room anti-chamber and chamber where in the 18th century higher rank meant you could be admitted to inner rooms in this case the official anti-chambers where ambassadors would arrive for the official delivery of their credentials the room is decorated with a gallery of portraits of the reigning dynasty from the first king to live in the palace charles iii to the current monarch philip vi on the ceiling the fresco by john domenico tiapolo depicts the myth of the golden fleece alluding to the order of the same name which was so significant for the spanish monarchy this room now has an important role in the protocol of official visits it is the place where heads of state are received before passing on to the throne room it is also where official photographs are taken for distribution to the press the decorative elements include 18th century tapestries with genre scenes also the rokuko console tables displaying busts of king alphonse xii and queen maria christina batista tiapolo's ceiling fresco is an allegory representing the grandeur and power of the spanish monarchy anticipating the fresco he would go on to paint in the throne room the woman on the throne dressed in white like a roman matron is the personification of the spanish monarchy around her various figures symbolizing the four parts of the known world kneeled before her [Music] leaving aside the splendid velvet hangings the enormous mirrors the exuberant ceiling fresco by tiapolo and the golden glow highlighted by the oldest chandeliers in the palace the throne room is important because of what it represents it is the only room to have kept its original decoration since it was built in 1772 all of its decorative elements are more than a display of beauty they are symbols which contribute to create a setting which represents the traits the spanish monarchy chose to highlight this room has seen many important historic events and is still used today for official audiences and ceremonies such as the pasqua militar and kissing the hand of the king a traditional ceremony in which the monarchs received the greetings of representatives of civil society since charles iii all the monarchs have held their most solemn occasions in this space [Music] the two thrones are copies of originals created in the era of charles iii the statues in this room are of habsburg kings and the first bourbons by placing them here charles iii legitimized the dynastic heritage that brought his father philip v to the throne everything here is symbolic for example flanking the thrones are the four cardinal virtues every ruler should have justice prudence fortitude and temperance and to close the circle in allusion to the size and power of the spanish monarchy the 12 console tables and their matching mirrors represent the four known continents the four seasons and the four elements [Music] represented the legendary and glorious past of spain in its own heaven in the apotheosis of the spanish monarchy in the center appears spain in the form of a roman matron seated on a globe of the world she is accompanied by minerva the goddess of wisdom and hercules the mythical hero of spain known for his strength and valor here tiapolo represents them protecting the monarch and thus the nation behind the central group the artist pays homage to charles iii with an obelisk lifted above the clouds around it are personifications of the christian virtues referring to the monarchy's links to the catholic church finally at the cornice the artist displays rare ingenuity and imagination in an allegory of all the peoples and kingdoms that form spain in the 18th century for example the horses represent andalusia extra madura is shown in the form of cloths and livestock and astorias where the reconquest began is personified as a woman draped in a royal mantle and holding a scepter american indians are represented with exotic feathered headdresses representing spain's overseas territories a rainbow crosses the sky announcing abundance peace and happiness the date the fresco was finished 1764 is painted over the eastern balcony and the signature of tiapolo who on this occasion was assisted by his sons domenico and lorenzo [Music] the name of this room comes from its historic use it was called the hall of the grandes because the grandes of spain had to wait here to be received by the king the status and antiquity of spain's nobility ranked high among the aristocracy of europe and here where the grandes came in is where we end our visit to the royal palace

Channel: Ihosepvs

Views: 161,224

Keywords: royal palace, royal, palace, king of Spain, queen of spain, madrid, juvarra, palace nato, royal palace of madrid, palais royal de madrid, palacio otan

Id: 2ZbeZFe_x3g

Length: 36min 7sec (2167 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 27 2022