Royal Alcazar of Madrid facts for kids

The Alcazar as it appeared

The Royal Alcazar of Madrid (Real Alcázar de Madrid) was a former royal residence. It was originally built as a fortress by Muslims between 850 and 856 AD. It was in the center of Madrid and served as the center of the Spanish royal court. This was up to the construction of the Royal Palace of Madrid by the Bourbons in the 1700's. the great building kept its original title of Alcázar (English: "fortress").

The first extension to the building was completed in 1537 and was commissioned by King Charles I. Its exterior was constructed by the architect "Juan Gómez de Mora" in 1636, commissioned by King Philip IV.

It was famous for its many paintings and for its unusual architecture. It was the residence of the Spanish Royal Family and home of the Court until it was destroyed by fire in 1734. Many artistic treasures were lost. This included over 500 paintings, although 1,038 artworks were saved from the fire. One of these was Las Meninas by Velázquez. It was damaged, but later restored by Juan García de Miranda.

Related pages

• Royal Palace of Madrid the building that is presently on the site.

Images for kids

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  Drawing of the old Alcázar by J. Cornelius Vermeyen. The image is dated at around 1534, before the extension commissioned by Charles V in 1537 - the first important work to the building. It is likely that this was the appearance of the Muslim castle, whose structure was the basis of the royal palace developed by the emperor.

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  Historical evolution of the Royal Alcázar of Madrid's layout.

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  Part of the 1562 drawing by Antoon Van Den Wijngaerde, in which the building can be seen as it was a year after Philip II chose Madrid as the site of his court.

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  Anonymous drawing of the building c. 1596–1597, when the work commissioned by Philip II was near completion. On the right, the Golden Tower, built by Juan Bautista of Toledo, can be seen in the southwestern corner of the Alcázar.

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  Equestrian statue of King Philip IV by Pietro Tacca, situated in the East Plaza near the Alcázar. During his reign, the southern façade designed by Juan Gómez de Mora was finished.

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  Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez depicts the painter working on the ground floor. It would later decorate Philip IV's summer office.

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  Drawing by Filippo Pallota, in which the main façade of the Alcázar can be seen in 1704, thirty years before it was destroyed by a fire.

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  The Royal Palace of Madrid, built on the site of the destroyed Alcázar. Its construction began in 1738, four years after the fire.

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  View from about 1670

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  Facade, c. 1710

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  Back facade of the alcázar, c. 1572

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  View of part of the Royal Palace from Cuesta de la Vega, by Fernando Brambila (c. 1790–1832) showing the southern facade of the Royal Palace on the upper right, and in the middle, the Royal Stables complex. The Stables stand out from the other buildings due to its white facades. Preserved in the collection of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

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  The Cabo Noval Gardens (formerly the Orchard of the Prioress), in the East Plaza. The smaller building in the middle of the photograph is the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation. The Gardens of the Prioress were destroyed in the early nineteenth century.

See also

In Spanish: Real Alcázar de Madrid para niños