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Within a mile from Madrid’s Plaza Espana stand many notable architectural masterpieces.
These include the notable Royal Palace of Madrid, home to the Kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso XIII, a popular tourist venue in the Spanish capital.
If your interests, however, lie in the palaces where the lesser members of royalty reside(d), you can also find the Palace of the Duke of Infatado and the Liria Palace in the area.
The Liria Palace, located only a few blocks from my hotel, caught my attention as it was described not only as the residence of the Duke of Alba but also as an art museum.
Heading there in the late afternoon for its reopening at four o’clock, I paid my admission and joined three others to receive our audio guides and join our host. Dismayed to see a sign stating that photos were not allowed except of the exterior, I vowed to be as sneaky as I could to capture at least a few things on film.
Although not being allowed to capture the beauty of this royal residence was disappointing enough, I soon discovered that although my audio guide was in my native tongue, the tour guide would only be speaking Spanish! Well, I haven’t been studying the language for the past year and a half for nothing!
Making our way to the front of the neoclassical palace and entering through the front double doors, we began to watch a short film on the palace’s history. Again…in Spanish, but my studies are paying off because I understood a great deal.
After the film’s completion, we followed our guide up the magnificent staircase to the second level and paused to listen to the narration describing each of the artistic pieces that graced the landings and nooks and crannies.
Following our guide, we then made our way from room to room on the ground and first floors, analyzing each’s unique features and artwork, gleaning what we could from the additional narratives that our guide contributed.
An art museum? Yes, but more of an extensive art collection set in an exquisite home. Hundreds of paintings filed the walls, highlighting intricate architectural features, and many personal photographs were displayed on desks and mantles. Of particular interest was the library, home to more than 18,000 prints, including the first edition of Don Quixote and the largest collection of handwritten manuscripts from Christopher Columbus.
The Liria palace was built in 1770 by architect Ventura Rodriguez and commissioned by James Fitz-James Stewart, the third Duke of Berwick and Duke of Liria. Over the years, the palace survived fire, losing part of its archives and the Spanish Civil War, where part of its façade was demolished. It was passed on to the House of Alba in the early 19th century and was the location where the last empress consort of the French, Eugenie de Montijo, spent her remaining days.
Today, the palace is the residence of Carlos Fitz-James Stewart, son of the 18th Duchess of Alba, and is open to the public to display its remarkable private collection of European art, including painting by Goya and Rembrandt, engravings by Durer and Van Dyck, marble and bronze sculptures from the Roman Empire to the neoclassical period as well as ceramics, armor, weapons, tapestries and empire style furniture.
While the palace is an interesting stop on Madrid’s list of countless attractions, I think it is one for those solely interested in art and the palace’s historical value. For me, the entrance fee was a bit steep, however, it was an attraction that I could squeeze in during the afternoon on my short visit. For those interested in hitting the city’s highlights, the Royal Palace is a short distance away and the city’s prestigious Museo Nacional del Prado may be the starting point for visitors whose interests lie in art. All in all, the tour was extremely informative and gave me a different insight to the residences of Spain’s royal families and for that, it was much appreciated.
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Liria Palace
- https://www.palaciodeliria.com/
- Address: Calle de la Princesa, 20 28008
- Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, mornings, 1015, 1045, 1115, 1145, 1215, 1245. Afternoons, closed. Thursday and Friday, mornings, 1015, 1045, 1115, 1145, 1215, 1245. Afternoons, 1615, 1645, 1715, 1745, 1815, 1845. Saturday and Sunday, mornings, 945 1015, 1045, 1115, 1145, 1215, 1245. Afternoons, 1545, 1615, 1645, 1715, 1745, 1815. Closed on January 1, 5 and 6 and December 24, 25 and 31.
- Admission: €15.00
- Getting There: Metro, Plaza de España (L2, L3, L10), Ventura Rodríguez (L3). Bus, 001, 002, 1, 2, 44, 62, 74, 133, 138, C1, C2