Royal Collections Gallery Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Royal Collections Gallery
Galería de las Colecciones Reales


Established	28 June 2023 (2023-06-28)
Location	Cuesta de la Vega, Madrid
Type	Art museum
Collection size	155,000 artworks
Architect	Emilio Tuñón and Luis Moreno Mansilla
Owner	Patrimonio Nacional
Public transit access	Ópera

The Royal Collections Gallery (which in Spanish is called Galería de las Colecciones Reales) is a cool art museum in Madrid, Spain. It was first known as the Royal Collections Museum. This amazing museum is managed by an organization called Patrimonio Nacional. You can find it in a brand-new building. It sits right above the beautiful gardens of the Campo del Moro park. It's also very close to the famous Almudena Cathedral and the grand Royal Palace.

This gallery was created to show off and protect many incredible items. These include paintings, sculptures, tapestries, fancy objects, old carriages, and other artworks. All these pieces come from the Spanish royal collection. This collection has been a main source of art for other big museums in Spain, like the Museo del Prado.

History of the Gallery
Amazing Artworks
Awards for the Building
Other Museums to Explore
See also

History of the Gallery

How the Idea Started

The idea for this museum began a long time ago, back in the 1930s. In 1935, a first plan was made. Then, in 1936, the government of the Second Spanish Republic officially announced the creation of a Museum of Arms and Carriages. Manuel Azaña was the president at that time. However, the start of the Spanish Civil War stopped the project.

The idea came up again in 1950 and then in 1980. But neither of those times did the museum actually get built.

Bringing the Dream to Life

Patrimonio Nacional brought up the idea of building the museum again in 1998. They wanted to create a new carriage museum. But they also wanted to show off artworks, jewelry, and tapestries. These items belonged to the royal families who ruled Spain for centuries. These families included the Habsburgs and the Bourbons.

In 2002, a design competition was held for the building. The project by architects Emilio Tuñón and Luis Moreno Mansilla (from Mansilla + Tuñón) won. Construction finally began in 2006.

Building Challenges

The construction faced some delays. Workers discovered old archaeological remains from a 9th-century Muslim settlement at the site. Also, the central government had to spend a lot more money than first planned.

The main front of the building is made of a special type of granite called Gris Quintana. Very large stones were used for this. They had to be hollowed out inside to fit over the reinforced concrete structure. Placing these huge stones was a very difficult job. A special tool had to be made just for this task. This showed how important it was to get the first stone laid perfectly. Other parts like steps and gutters were also made from the same granite.

Opening the Doors

The building itself was finished in 2016. However, because of a temporary government situation after the 2016 general election, they couldn't sign a contract for 25 million more euros. This money was needed to finish the inside of the building. The opening was then announced for 2020.

In October 2018, after more delays, two companies won a public competition. Empty, which specializes in museum design, and Telefónica, a telecommunications company, teamed up. They were chosen to design the inside of the museum and how its collections would be shown.

In June 2022, the Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, and the chairwoman of Patrimonio Nacional, Ana de la Cueva, made an exciting announcement. They said the museum would open in the summer of 2023. They also said it would be renamed the Royal Collections Gallery. The museum officially opened its doors on June 28, 2023.

Amazing Artworks

The Royal Collections Gallery is home to many incredible pieces of art and history. Here are just a few examples of what you can see:

Portrait of Isabella I of Castile, painted around 1500–1504 by Juan de Flandes.
Iris, created around 1503 by Albrecht Dürer.
Portrait of a Man with a Pearl, from about 1515–1517 by Michel Sittow.
Hercules (a tapestry), made around 1530 by Bernard van Orley.
Eagle Fountain, from about 1539 by Giovanni Montorsoli.
The Haywain (a tapestry), created in 1555, based on a work by Hieronymus Bosch.
White Horse, from about 1634–1638 by Diego Velázquez.
Crucified Christ, a bronze sculpture from 1655 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Black Carriage, from about 1670–1680.
Saint Michael Defeating the Devil, painted in 1692 by Luisa Roldán.
Portrait of Philip V of Spain, painted in 1737 by Louis-Michel Van Loo.
The Honey Seller, from 1775 by Lorenzo Baldissera Tiepolo.
Chair and canopy from Maria Luisa of Parma's audience chamber, from about 1793.
Portrait of Maria Luisa of Parma, painted in 1799 by Goya.
Surtout de table of the Glories of Spain, from about 1802–1805 by Isidoro G. Velázquez.
The Royal Crown Coach, from about 1829–1833.
Crowns for the Virgin of Atocha and Child, from about 1852 by Narciso Práxenes.