Royal Palaces of Spain

by Albert Frederick Calvert

The principal entrance is in the south façade, but the palace is approached by five other grand entrances. The east side, which faces on to the Plaza de Oriente, is called ‘del Principe,’ from the fact that at one time it was always used by the royal family. On the eastern and southern sides the height of the edifice is more than doubled by reason of the uneven ground where it falls away to the river. The northern side faces the Guadarrama mountains, from which the icy winter blasts have frozen to death many unfortunate sentries on guard at the Puerta del Diamante. The main southern entrance leads into a huge patio, some 240 feet square, surrounded by an open portico, composed of thirty-six arches, surmounted by another row of arches, forming a gallery with glass windows. In this court are four large statues of Trajan, Hadrian, Honorius, and Theodosius, the four Roman emperors who were natives of Spain. The upper vaulting is decorated with allegorical frescoes, the work of Corrado Giaquinto, representing the Spanish monarchy offering homage to religion. The famous Grand Staircase, with its three flights of black and white marble steps,—each step a single slab of marble—and its celebrated lions, lead out of this court. Napoleon Bonaparte is reported to have said to his brother Joseph as the intrusive king made his first ascent of this superb staircase, ‘Vous serez mieux logé que moi.’ During the same historic tour of the palace the emperor laid his hand on one of the silver lions in the throne-room, and remarked to his brother, ‘Je la tiens enfin, cette Espagne si désirée.’

The ground area of the palace is divided into thirty salons, magnificently furnished and adorned with a profusion of precious marbles and fresco paintings by Ribera, Gonzalez, Velazquez, Maella, Mengs, Bayeu, and Lopez. It would be going outside the province of this sketch to describe each apartment in detail, but special reference must be made to the Hall of Ambassadors. This magnificent apartment, the largest and richest in the Palace, occupies the centre of the principal façade, in which it has five balconies. The whole apartment glows with rich colouring, and scintillates with a lavish display of precious metals. The rock-crystal chandeliers, colossal looking-glasses cast at San Ildefonso, the marble tables, the crimson, and the gilding compose a spectacle of royal magnificence. Here is the splendid throne of silver, made for the husband of Mary of England, and mounting guard on either side are the huge lions of the same metal. The ceiling, painted by Juan Bautista Tiépolo, represents the Spanish Monarchy, exalted by poetic beings, accompanied by the Virtues, and surrounded by its dominions in both hemispheres. On a throne, at the sides of which are Apollo and Minerva, the Monarchy is majestically seated, supported by the allegorical figures representing the science of Government, Peace and Justice and Virtue. Another group, on clouds, is formed by Abundance, Mercy, and other figures. A rainbow crosses the whole ceiling, and between this and the great circle of clouds circled by angels covering is the Monarchy. In the same salon is an allegory in praise of Charles III., which is formed by Magnanimity and Glory, Affability and Counsel. Faith, enthroned on clouds, has an altar of fire, and is accompanied by Hope, Charity, Prudence, Strength, and Victory; and an angel carries a chain with a medal to reward the Noble Arts. Between the cornice Tiépolo displayed his masterly hand by delineating the provinces of the Spanish Monarchy. Roberto Michel executed in the angles four gilded medallions, representing Water and Spring, Air and Summer, Fire and Autumn, and Earth and Winter. Over the doors are two ovals, one representing Abundance, and the other Merit and Virtue. All the walls of this regal hall are covered with crimson velvet bordered with gold. On the right is the statue of Prudence, on the left that of Justice, and in the two angles traced by the steps are four gilded bronze lions. Before the superb mirrors in this apartment are costly tables, and on these marble busts and other no less beautiful objects, the whole constituting the most beautiful room in the palace, and one of the first in Europe.

In these salons is the wonderful collection of French clocks which amused the unproductive leisure of Ferdinand VII., who spent his time in a profitless endeavour to make them chime simultaneously. The glorious pictures, now in the Prado, that once adorned these walls were removed by Ferdinand VII. to make room for his beloved silk hangings. At his death vaults and store-rooms were emptied of a forgotten accumulation of fine old furniture, and much portable treasure was removed from the palace. Much of this has vanished beyond recovery, but during the redecoration of the building for the reception of the king’s bride, Alfonso XIII. was successful in recovering a number of splendid bronzes, clocks, and porcelain vases, which now adorn the principal apartments.

The Guard Room, occupied by the Royal Halberdiers, is at the head of the Royal Staircase, and opens into the enormous Hall of Columns. The columns which support the corner medallions are similar to those on the staircase, and the ceiling is painted by Conrado Giaquinto. The paving is of variegated marbles; the only decorations of the apartments are its medallions, its cornices of trophies, and its four great allegorical figures. For its impressiveness the room depends solely on its architectural merits and its simplicity, and forms a striking contrast to the other salons of the palace with their superb tapestries, upholstered furniture, brocades, and ornaments. The Banqueting Hall is of magnificent proportions, and the Ball Room, to the splendour of which all the arts and manufactures appear to have contributed, is the largest in Europe. The Chinese Room, the Charles III. Room, hung with blue brocade starred with silver, and the Giardini Room, which is upholstered in ivory satin, embroidered in gold and coloured flowers, and roofed with porcelain from the Buen Retiro factory, are among the many marvels of this marvellous palace.

The Royal Chapel, which was depleted in 1808 by General Belliard, who carried off the pictures painted for Philip II. by Michael Coxis, is still splendid in its profusion of rich marbles, gilt, and stucco, and its beautiful ceiling painted by Giaquinto. Many of the exquisite altar-cloths and vestments were embroidered by Queen Cristina. Here also is an immensely valuable collection of fine ecclesiastical objects; and here at Epiphany, Easter, and Corpus Christi the galleries leading from the royal chapel are hung with the magnificent and unique tapestries which belong to the crown of Spain.

The private library of his Majesty is on the ground-floor of the palace. It was formed by Philip V. about 1714, and has since been increased by the acquisition of several notable collections, including those of the dean of Teruel, Counts Mansilla and Gondomar, and Judge Bruna of Seville. The manuscripts are for the most part from the extinct colleges. The king’s library, which occupies ten rooms and two passages, is composed of eighty thousand volumes in magnificent mahogany cases with beautiful glass from La Granja. Books issued prior to the sixteenth century, beautiful copies on vellum, very rare editions by Spanish printers, and rich bindings, make this library one of the most important in Europe. Among the illustrated missals is a prayer-book said to have belonged to Ferdinand and Isabella or their daughter, Juana la Loca, whose portrait it contains. The building is adorned with exquisite ornaments and the arms of Leon and Castile in enamel. The correspondence of Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador in London during the reign of James I., is also to be seen here.

The general Archive of the crown of Spain was created in virtue of a royal decree of Ferdinand VII., dated May 22, 1814. The organisation and classification of all the documents since the reign of Charles I. until that of Isabella II. were based on chronology; but Alfonso XII. thought the classification of subjects more scientific, and the Keeper of the Archives has, since 1876, had the whole of the documents divided into four large sections, namely, administrative, juridical, historical, and according to their sources. This Archive also has a reference library composed of seven hundred volumes. At present the Archive of the Crown consists of thirty rooms, containing nearly ten thousand bundles of papers and two thousand volumes. The administrative documents date from 1479; the juridical ones from 1598; the historical from 1558; there being also some property deeds dating from the eleventh century relating to the celebrated monastery of El Escorial, founded by Philip II., which from the paleographic point of view, and even from the historical, are of great interest.

The Royal Pharmacy, situated in the part of the palace known as Los Arcos Nuevos (the New Arches), has an origin which is closely bound up with the history of national pharmacy. In the beginning of the pharmaceutical profession, when it became a faculty, the Royal Pharmacy was the centre of the profession in all its phases. It contains a rich collection of utensils of all periods, curious examples of pharmaceutical materials used in olden times, and a well-filled library, consisting of more than two thousand five hundred volumes.

The stables of the ancient Alcazar were situated in the space now occupied by the large Armoury Court; those of the present palace were built in the reign of Charles III., in accordance with the plans and under the direction of the notable architect, Francisco Sabatini. The plan of the edifice is an irregular polygon, the longest side of which, at the Cuesta de San Vicente, is nearly 700 feet in length. The principal façade is in the Calle Bailen, and is adorned by a simple granite portal, over which are the royal arms. This door leads to a fine court surrounded by arches, and on the west side is a small chapel, dedicated to St. Anthony, Abbot.

The principal part of these buildings consists in the large and magnificent galleries, sustained by double rows of pillars, which constitute the stables. These consist of a spacious stable for the horses used by royalty. There is another stable for Spanish horses, another for foreign horses and mares, and yet another for mules. More than three hundred animals can be accommodated in the stables. There are at present one hundred saddle-horses, all of which, with the exception of sixty foreign animals, come from the royal stud at Aranjuez.