Royal Alcazar of Madrid facts for kids
The Royal Alcazar of Madrid (Real Alcázar de Madrid) was a grand royal palace in the center of Madrid, Spain. It was first built as a strong fortress by Muslims between the years 850 and 856 AD. For many centuries, it was the main home for the Spanish royal court. This continued until the Royal Palace of Madrid was built by the Bourbon family in the 1700s. The building kept its original name, Alcázar, which means "fortress" in English.
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Building the Alcazar: A Royal Home Takes Shape
The Alcazar was expanded for the first time in 1537. This work was ordered by King Charles I. Later, in 1636, the outside of the building was redesigned by the architect Juan Gómez de Mora. This was done for King Philip IV.
The Alcazar was well-known for its many beautiful paintings and its unique design. It was the home of the Spanish Royal Family and the center of the Court until a terrible fire destroyed it in 1734.
The Great Fire and Lost Treasures
When the Alcazar burned down, many amazing art pieces were lost forever. Over 500 paintings were destroyed. However, 1,038 artworks were saved from the fire. One very famous painting that was saved was Las Meninas by Velázquez. It was damaged in the fire but was later fixed by Juan García de Miranda.
Related pages
- Royal Palace of Madrid: This is the palace that stands on the same spot today, built after the Alcazar was destroyed.
Images for kids
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This drawing from around 1534 shows the old Alcázar. It looks like the original Muslim castle before King Charles V started his big building project in 1537.
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See how the Royal Alcázar of Madrid changed over time.
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This part of a 1562 drawing shows the building a year after King Philip II made Madrid the capital.
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This drawing from around 1596–1597 shows the building when King Philip II's work was almost finished. You can see the Golden Tower on the right.
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A statue of King Philip IV on his horse, located near where the Alcázar once stood. The southern side of the Alcázar was finished during his rule.
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Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez shows the artist painting on the ground floor of the Alcázar.
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A drawing from 1704 showing the main front of the Alcázar, thirty years before it was destroyed by fire.
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The Royal Palace of Madrid, which was built on the site of the old Alcázar. Its construction started in 1738, four years after the fire.
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A view of the Alcázar from around 1670.
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The front of the Alcázar, around 1710.
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The back of the Alcázar, around 1572.
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This view from around 1790–1832 shows the Royal Palace on the upper right and the Royal Stables in the middle.
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The Cabo Noval Gardens in the East Plaza. The smaller building is the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation.
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See also
In Spanish: Real Alcázar de Madrid para niños
