Miramar Palace facts for kids
The Miramar Palace (also known as Palacio de Miramar) is a beautiful old palace from the late 1800s. You can find it in the city of San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, Spain. It sits right on the edge of La Concha Bay. The Spanish royal family asked for it to be built in 1893. An English architect named Selden Wornum designed it.
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Why Was Miramar Palace Built?
The Spanish royal family loved spending their summers in San Sebastián. This tradition started with Queen Isabella II of Spain in the mid-1800s. She enjoyed taking sea baths there.
Later, Queen Maria Christina of Austria (who was married to King Alfonso XII of Spain) made San Sebastián the main summer spot for the royal court. Since the royal family needed a special summer home, Queen Maria Christina decided to build a palace.
Building the Palace
The Queen chose a large area overlooking La Concha Bay for the palace. This spot used to have a monastery. She bought the land and even added more nearby areas. One of these areas had a church, which had to be moved!
The palace was finished in 1893. A new building called the Pabellón del Príncipe (Prince's Pavilion) was added in 1920. Building the palace was a big job. They even had to create a special tunnel for trams to pass under the palace gardens!
What Happened to the Palace?
After Queen Maria Christina passed away in 1929, her son, Alfonso XIII of Spain, inherited the palace. But in 1931, when Spain became a republic (a country without a king), the government took control of the palace.
In 1933, the palace was given to the San Sebastián City Council. The deal was that it would be used as a summer home for the president of the republic. Parts of it would also be used for schools and cultural events.
Later, during the time of Franco's rule, the palace was returned to Alfonso XIII's children. Eventually, the San Sebastián City Council bought the palace from the royal family in 1972.
Miramar Palace Today
Today, the beautiful gardens of the Miramar Palace are open to everyone during certain hours. You can also take guided tours to see some of the palace's grand rooms.
The Miramar Palace is now used for summer courses by the University of the Basque Country. It used to be home to Musikene, a music school, until 2016. The palace also hosts parties and events, especially during the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Palace Design
The Miramar Palace has a very English style. It also features some neogothic decorations, which means it looks a bit like old medieval castles.
Inside, some of the main rooms still look like they did when they were first built. These include the White Hall, the Music Hall, the Wooden Hall, the Petit Salon, the Library, and the Royal Dining Room. Other parts of the palace have been updated over the years to be more useful. For example, classrooms were built in 2001 for the music school. In 2007, the palace's tower was also fixed up.
The outside of the palace still looks just as it did originally.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de Miramar (San Sebastián) para niños
