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Patrimonio Nacional facts for kids

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National Heritage
Patrimonio Nacional
Logo de Patrimonio Nacional.svg
The Spanish Royal Crown, symbol of Patrimonio Nacional
Agency overview
Formed May 12, 1865; 159 years ago (1865-05-12) (as Crown Heritage)
March 7, 1940; 84 years ago (1940-03-07) (as National Heritage)
Preceding agencies
  • Crown Heritage (1865–1931)
  • Republic Heritage (1931–1940)
Type Autonomous agency
Jurisdiction Spanish government
Headquarters Royal Palace of Madrid
Employees 1.231 (2020)
Annual budget 149 million, 2023
Agency executives
  • Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán y de la Serna, Chairman
  • Ernesto Abati García-Manso, Manager
Parent department Ministry of the Presidency
Website Web Site
Ventana2
Monasterio de El Escorial.
Palacio Real de Aranjuez
Palacio Real de Aranjuez.
La Granja Palacio
Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso.
Palacio Riofrío agosto-04
Palacio Real de Riofrío.

Patrimonio Nacional (English: National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for State Ceremonies. The Patrimonio Nacional includes palaces, gardens, monasteries and convents, called the Royal sites. When not in official use, the Royal sites are open to the public. It also manages the official and holiday residences of the Prime Minister.

The agency was first created in 1865 during the reign of Isabella II under the name of Patrimonio de la Corona (English: Heritage of the Crown. During the reign of her grandson, Alfonso XIII, it was also known as Patrimonio Real (English: Royal Heritage). The second republic (1931–1939) kept the agency under the name of Patrimonio de la República English: Heritage of the Republic and in 1940, dictator Francisco Franco renamed it to Patrimonio National, the current name.

Patrimonio Nacional organizes temporary exhibitions and concerts in the Royal sites. It also publishes catalogues of the Royal Collections, books on the Royal sites, facsimiles of some of the books held in the library of El Escorial and the Royal Library, visitors guides to the different sites as well as the official photographs of the King of Spain. It also publishes a quarterly magazine, Reales Sitios, about the art collections and cultural history of the Royal sites.

The Royal Family has other palaces but these are not controlled by Patrimonio Nacional.

Royal Places

Royal Palaces

Royal convents and monasteries

Residences of the Prime Minister

Museum

In addition to the exhibitions that Patrimonio Nacional carries out in the different Royal Sites, the agency will open a museum in 2023, the Royal Collections Gallery, destined to exhibit the heritage accumulated by the Spanish Monarchy for centuries.

The Board

The National Heritage is managed by the Board of Directors of the agency which, according to Act 23/1982, is composed by a Chairperson and a Manager appointed by the Monarch, with the advice of the Prime Minister; and thirteen members of renowned reputation, including two city councilors of towns where properties of Patrimonio Nacional are located (currently the cities of Madrid and Palma) and two members from museums and cultural institutions of recognized prestige and international projection.

Structure

The agency is structured through a central and a decentralized one:

The central structure is integrated by:

  • The Administration and Resources Directorate.
  • The Royal Collections Directorate.
  • The Real Estate and Natural Environment Directorate.
  • The Official and Cultural Events Directorate.

The territorial or decentralized structure is integrated by the Board' delegations in palaces, monasteries and other properties and organizations.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Patrimonio Nacional para niños

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