There is no Madrileño who doesn’t know what you’re talking about if someone mentions the Royal Palace or that of Linares, but many other palaces in Madrid are somewhat hidden from the general public due to their location or, perhaps, go unnoticed because of their simple facades. There are even busy streets that hide real architectural gems inside.
Despite the number of palaces and great houses that have been lost in the many transformations that the city has undergone, we can still enjoy, at least, the exterior of these buildings:
1. Palace of the Marquis of Amboage (italian embassy)
The Italian embassy was originally the palace of the Marquis of Amboage. Designed in the early twentieth century by the architect Joaquín Rojí commissioned by Fernando Pla Peñalver, a member of the Cortes and son of a wealthy Indian who held this pontifical marquisate.
This 1,350-square-meter residence in the Salamanca neighborhood is finished in marble, wrought iron and bronze, with a stained-glass window in the staircase of the Maumejean house. It was the headquarters of the Madrid City Hall during the Civil War, when it ended it was returned to its owners, who sold it in 1939 to the Italian State for 25 million pesetas.
98 Lagasca Street, Salamanca (Salamanca)
2. Aldovea Palace
Madrid also has medieval castles, and the Aldovea Palace is one of the most outstanding. The site belongs to Soto de Aldovea, in the municipality of San Fernando de Henares, in the east of the Community of Madrid. Although its origins are uncertain, given its location near the Henares River, it is believed to have been built as a fortress at the end of the 11th century.
It was not until centuries later, in the 18th century, when Louis of Bourbon commissioned the architect Virgilio Rabaglio to transform the fortification into the palace it is today. In addition to its spacious halls, its gardens, with a capacity to accommodate more than a thousand people, also stand out . Nowadays, this fairytale setting is chosen by many for their wedding celebrations.
Carretera Castillo, 10 (San Fernando de Henares)
3. Fernán Núñez Palace
Located a few steps away from Atocha the Fernán Nuñez Palace, with its sober façade, hides an impressive interior. It was built in 1790 in neoclassical style and underwent a remodeling in the mid-19th century. Among the decorative elements that can be found are replicas of Goya’s cartons, inlaid floors and ceilings, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, silk fabrics, marbles, bronzes… And rooms such as the Elizabethan Hall, in the image.
It has been the headquarters of the Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (FFE) since 1985 and has been the venue for the following events series shootings such as the one in the series ‘El Ministerio del Tiempo’. The FFE organizes guided tours for groups with a price of 6€.
📍 Calle de Santa Isabel, 44 (downtown)
4. Laredo Palace
The Laredo Palace was built in 1882 by Manuel José Laredo y Oroño, then mayor of Alcalá de Hernares. This peculiar family residence and personal project of this builder, painter and restorer is a combination of styles that evoke other eras: Mudejar, Gothic, Neoclassical, etc. The taste for Spanish history is also reflected in the frescoes, painted by Laredo himself. The highlight is the king’s hall (above in the image). It also included 15 original pieces from the 15th and 16th centuries from different palaces in the country, such as the tiles from the palace of Pedro I the cruel (Jaén), coffered ceilings from the palace of the Marquises of Tendilla (Guadalajara) or the columns and vault of the castle of Santorcaz (Madrid).
📍 Paseo de la Estación, 10 (Alcalá de Henares)
5. Palace of Infante don Luis
The palace of the Infante Don Luis is the work of the architect Ventura Rodriguez, who was involved since the purchase of the land by the brother of the king, who, having no property, wanted to make one to his liking. This palace with a neoclassical façade has, however, a late-baroque interior (especially notable in the chapel) and an Italian-style garden. Although it was originally intended as a hunting lodge, the Infante Don Luis ended up living in it from 1765 to 1776 and its rooms were visited by great names of the time, such as Goya luigi Boccherini, Manfredi and Ventura Rodriguez himself, among others.
During the Civil War it served as a hospital and barracks, which caused it to be bombed and suffered serious damage. Since 1998 it belongs to the City Council of Boadilla del Monte, both the palace and the gardens have been restored and are open to the public.
📍 Avenida de Adolfo Suárez, 27 (Boadilla del Monte)
6. Parque Florido Palace (Lázaro Galdiano Museum)
Although perhaps unfamiliar by name, the building has been the present-day Lázaro Galdiano Museum since 1951. Its name is a tribute to Paula Florido, the wife of José Lázaro Galdiano, who ordered its construction at the beginning of the 20th century. Among other elements of its decoration, it is worth mentioning the artistic collection assembled by Galdiano. The painting of the ceilings is by Eugenio Lucas Villamil and is made by the marouflage technique, which consists of fixing a light surface (canvas in this case) on another more solid support.
📍 Calle de Serrano, 122 (Salamanca)
7. Gaviria Palace
This palatial building in the heart of Madrid houses one of the most luxurious interiors of the 19th century, despite its simple facade. It was built between 1846 and 1847 by the architect Aníbal Álvarez Bouquel by order of the Marquis of Gaviria, and on the foundations of the palace of Duque de Arcos. It was inaugurated in 1851 at a ball presided over by Queen Elizabeth II, a year after the nearby Theatre Royal. It was, at that time, the fashionable Zone in Madrid. Subsequently, the palace has been used as Republican barracks during the Civil War, as ministerial headquarters and in recent years as an exhibition hall, although it is currently closed.
📍 Calle Arenal, 9 (downtown)
8. Zurbano Palace
The street that gives its name to this traditional palace house is the street to which its main ticket gives its name, located in the neighborhood of Almagro. However, throughout its history the building was also known as the Palace of the Marquis of Casa Riera and the Palace of the Count of Muguiro. It was the latter who commissioned its construction at the end of the 19th century. After a major restoration in the 1990s, it was the headquarters of various public agencies. Owned by the Ministry of Public Works, it is currently used as a venue for ceremonial events.
📍 Calle de Zurbano, 5-7 (Chamberí)
9. Palace of the Marquis of Cerralbo (Cerralbo Museum)
As is the case with others such as the Geominero Museum the Cerralbo is perhaps one of the most unknown of the capital. It was the home of the XVII Marquis of Cerralbo, tailor-made for the aristocratic families of the late 19th century. It is classicist in style and has neo-baroque and rococo elements, and its interior houses more than 50,000 pieces including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, furniture, coins, armor…. As a curiosity, unlike others, this museum does not have explanatory signs (with few exceptions), in order to “respect the house-palace”. For this reason, a booklet with relevant information about the objects and spaces in different languages is provided during the visit.
📍 Calle de Ventura Rodríguez, 17 (downtown)
10. Godoy Palace
Originally known as the palace of the Marquis of Grimaldi, it was built by Francesco Sabatini between 1776 and 1782 and later occupied by Godoy, favorite of King Charles IV. And it is very topical because in the recent construction of Plaza de España remains in good condition of what was the original building have been found which underwent modifications during 1931, when it was shortened to widen Bailén Street, thus eliminating Godoy’s private rooms. In 1943 the current facade was erected and since 1975 it has been the headquarters of the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies.
📍Plazade la Marina Española, 9 (center)
11. Bauer Palace
San Bernardo Street, in the Malasaña neighborhood was once the epicenter of Madrid’s nobility. One of the remains of that period of splendor is the Bauer Palace, known as such because it was owned by Ignacio Bauer. However, it was not until the 19th century that it came into the banker’s hands, as it had previously belonged to the Novitiate House of the Society of Jesus in the 18th century. The renovations that characterize it today were commissioned to Arturo Mélida by the Bauer family. The apparent simplicity of its exterior contrasts with the baroque style of the interior. The current decoration is not the original, but some elements such as frescoes, marble and stained glass have been preserved. Some of the paintings belonging to the Prado Museum’s collection are exhibited there. Since the second half of the 20th century it has been the seat of the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid.
📍 Calle de San Bernardo, 44 (Malasaña)
12. Maudes Palace
The Maudes palace, originally built as a day laborers’ hospital, was constructed between 1909 and 1916 and designed by Antonio Palacios. It has an area of 13,891 square meters and has gone through different phases throughout its history: during the Civil War it treated the wounded at the front and in the post-war period it was a military emergency hospital. From 1964 until it was bought by the Community of Madrid, converting it into the headquarters of the Department of Transport, Housing and Infrastructure, it remained abandoned and among the neighbors it began to be called “the house of the cats”. In the old hospital chapel is located the Parish of Santa Maria del Silencio, the first one for deaf and deaf-blind people.
📍 Calle de Maudes, 17 (Chamberí)
13. Buenavista Palace
It was built in the 16th century in the Altillo de Buenavista, from which it takes its name. The estate was a gift to Philip II from the Archbishop of Toledo when the latter decided to move his court to Madrid. However, the present palace was built two centuries later , commissioned by the Duchess of Alba, Cayetana XIII, to the architect Juan Pedro Arnal. Victim of two major fires during that period, the building underwent several renovations. In addition to being owned by the House of Alba, it was also owned by Manuel Godoy. When the building returned to the Royal Household, it was considered by Joseph Bonaparte as candidate building to house the present-day Prado Museum. Finally, it was ceded to the Army and now houses its headquarters.
📍 Plaza Cibeles (center)
14. House-Palace of Pedro Luján
More than 500 years old, this 15th century palace-house is one of the oldest civilian suites in Madrid. The building is an example of Madrid’s Mudejar style and has medieval architectural details of Arab and Gothic inspiration, such as a horseshoe arch, unique in the capital. The building is also surrounded by legend: it is said that King Francis I of France was imprisoned in the building after being defeated by Charles V in the Battle of Pavia.
📍 Calle del Codo, 1 (downtown)
15. Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca
In the heart of the La Latina is located this historical treasure that often goes unnoticed. It was the Marquis of Villafranca, after whom it was named, who bought the properties on the block to build this palace in the 18th century. Although since 2005 it has been the seat of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Palace of the Marquis of Villafranca was for centuries the residence of several families of Madrid’s nobility. In addition, in the 1970s it also housed a restaurant that hosted important international personalities such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Jackie Kennedy. One of its secrets is that in its interior is preserved an original section of almost 20 meters of the old Christian wall of Madrid.
📍 Calle de Don Pedro, 10 (La Latina)
16. Trinity Palace
This palace in the vicinity of the Avenida de América interchange has been abandoned and almost forgotten since the Instituto Cervantes left the building in 2008 and until 2015 when it was acquired by Pesacadería Coruñesas, owners of other historic buildings and restaurants such as Since 1911, with one Michelin star. The complex, reminiscent of an Andalusian farmhouse (in small dimensions), was designed by architect Luis Alemany and commissioned by María de los Ángeles Gutiérrez in 1928.
📍 Calle de Francisco Silvela, 82 (Avenida de América)
Knowing the history of these palaces in Madrid we discover how the city has grown and changed, which neighborhoods were most in vogue and how there was also room for art and culture in the towns surrounding the capital. There is also a long list of palaces that disappeared, some to build more modern buildings, as is the case of the Anglada Palace, others were damaged by the wars as the Real Sitio de la Moncloa and many others were abandoned and finally demolished in the early twentieth century.
This article has been written in six hands between Selene García Torreiro, Isabel Nieto and Elena Francés.