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The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) is one of the most fascinating places to visit in the city. It’s located on the west side of the historic center of Madrid.
Introduction to the Royal Palace of Madrid
The Royal Palace of Madrid was built on the site of a 9th century Muslim-era fortress built by Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba and the old Alcázar that was built in the 16th century. The Alcázar burned down on Christmas Eve in 1734. Construction of the current building took place between 1738 and 1755. The original design was made by Italian architect Giambattista Sacchetti (1690-1764) and it was enlarged starting in 1760 by Francesco Sabatini (1721-1797).
The Royal Palace of Madrid has 135,000 square meters (1,450,000 square feet) of floor space making it the largest palace by floor area in Europe. There are a total of 3,418 rooms. Although it’s owned by the Spanish state, the palace serves as the official residence of the Spanish royal family in Madrid. However, it’s only used for state ceremonies. The last monarch to live there was Alfonso XIII.
Visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid
It’s possible to visit the Royal Palace on a guided or self-guided tour. Guided tours are available in English or Spanish. Tickets can be purchased online or at the palace entrance opposite the Almudena Cathedral. All prices below are current as of June 2025:
- Self-guided tours are €14 for adults; €7 for seniors age 65+, kids age 5-16, and students up to 25 with a valid ID; and free for kids under 5.
- Guided tours are €20 for adults, €13 for seniors age 65+, kids age 5-16, and students up to 25 with a valid ID; and €6 for kids under 5.
- Combo tickets to the Royal Palace and Gallery of Royal Collections are €24 for adults, €12 for seniors age 65+, kids age 5-16, and students up to 25 with a valid ID; and free for kids under 5.
- Combo tickets for a self-guided tour of the Royal Palace and a guided tour of the Royal Kitchen (Cocina Real) are €18 for adults, €11 for seniors age 65+, kids age 5-16, and students up to 25 with a valid ID; and €4 for kids under 5.
- Tickets to the Royal Kitchen only are €6 and free for kids under 5.
I highly recommend purchasing your tickets online in advance. When I visited in the winter, there was no queue. In the summer, however, the queue was unbelievable. If you want to avoid waiting in the sweltering summer heat, it’s best to buy online.
Plaza de la Armería
The huge open space in front of the palace is Plaza de la Armería (Armory Square). The plaza dates back to 1553, when Felipe II ordered the royal stables to be built there. The current look dates from 1892 based on plans by architect Enrique María Repullés (1845-1922).
On the east and west sides of Armory Square are long buildings behind a portico. The building on the west side contains the Royal Armory (Real Armería), which is one of the best collections of weapons in the world. Some of the pieces date back to the 13th century. The collection includes the personal arms of the Kings of Spain.
Moorish Camp
Also on the west side, it’s possible to walk out to a balcony to see the Moorish Camp (Campo del Moro). It’s a large garden where Ali ibn Yusuf, the Sultan of Morocco, allegedly camped with his troops in 1109 in an attempt to reconquer Madrid. Different kings and queens added their touches to the garden over the years. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to walk through it.
South Façade of the Royal Palace of Madrid
The south façade of the palace, where visitors enter for tours, contains a clock flanked by statues of Felipe V, Fernando VI, Bárbara de Braganza, and María Luisa Gabriela de Saboya. Above the clock is the royal coat of arms flanked by angels. The bells date between 1637 and 1761.
Interior of the Royal Palace of Madrid
Once inside, the tour starts at the Grand Staircase, which was built in 1789 by Francesco Sabatini (1721-1797) out of a single piece of marble. There are two lions at the landing. At the top of the staircase is a statue of Carlos IV in a Roman toga. On the ceiling is a fresco by Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) depicting Religion Protected by Spain.
Next was a room with a nativity scene of Bethlehem and other Christmas scenes. It contained about 400 figures and buildings created by different artists and was a temporary display for the Christmas season.
The rest of the palace tour takes you through different royal apartments, the throne room, banquet hall, royal chapel, crown room, and other rooms. The route changes every few months. Photography is forbidden, but you can imagine the extravagance. It’s quite an experience walking through the rooms. I was only able to get a photo of the inner courtyard.
Statues on the Royal Palace of Madrid
Several statues and busts of different emperors decorate the building. This was the brainchild of Martín Sarmiento (1695-1772), whose idea was to create statues of all the kings of Spain since the rule of the Visigoths. Felipe de Castro (1704/11-1775) and Giovanni Domenico Olivieri (1708-1762) began implementing the project in 1749, employing several different sculptors to create the works. To reduce costs, they used limestone instead of marble and made the statues in two pieces. A second set of statues on the main level included statues of rulers under Spanish domain, including Portugal and the Americas.
In 1760, King Carlos III decided to have all the statues removed based on current tastes developing in Italy. They were dismantled and put in storage until 1787, when they were dispersed and erected in various gardens and parks. Some of the statues were returned to their original positions on the building in 1973.
Sabatini Gardens
Finally, you can walk to the north side of the building where you can visit the Sabatini Gardens (Jardines de Sabatini). They were named for the Italian architect I mentioned above. You can enter from the steps near the palace or from the gates on the north side of the garden.
The gardens were developed starting in 1933 and completed in the 1970s. Juan Carlos I opened them to the public in 1978. They were designed by architect Fernando García Mercadal (1896-1985).
