This is what it's like to visit the Liria Palace in Madrid: schedules, prices, what to see

You will have seen him many times hiding behind his bars in the princess street de Madrid, and you will have been wanting to enter, but now you can see it inside and discover its splendid rooms.

El Liria Palace In the heart of Madrid, official residence of the House of Alba, is an authentic jewel of art that houses one of the most important private collections in the world, which you can now visit.

A tour of the historic building, but also of the history of one of the most well-known and emblematic families in Spain.

We tell you that it is an urban palace in the heart of the capital, of which currently the public can only visit the ground floor and the first floor, and which also carry out Temporary exhibitions.

On Liria Palace Members of his family still live there, and in fact, during some of the visits you will be able to see their cars at the gate of the gardens.

The personal stays of the Alba's family, which are on the second floor, cannot be visited, and the third floor corresponds to the service and maintenance of the palace.

Curiosities about the history of the Liria Palace

El Liria Palace It was built between 1767 and 1785 by the 3rd Duke of Berwick and Liria, Mr. Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart and Colón.

The architect was Ventura Rodriguez, although it was Louis Guilbert the one who completed this building neoclassical.

During the Spanish Civil War It suffered several fires that destroyed its entire interior and four facades, but most of the artistic collection was saved.

The subsequent reconstruction was the work of 17th Duke of Alba, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart and subsequently Mrs. Cayetana Fitz -James Stuart y Mr. Luis Martínez de Irujo.

Currently the Liria Palace It is also the residence of 19th Duke of Alba, Don Carlos Fitz-James Stuart and headquarters of the Casa de Alba Foundation.

This is the experience of visiting the Liria Palace, the best thing to see

El Liria Palace It houses an incalculable collection of art, and during the tour inside you will be able to see 14 of its main rooms, between the ground and first floors.

The path begins on the ground floor, in the Main Hallway, where you have to stop to watch an explanatory video with the history of the Palace.

Next to the screen we find two busts of Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Eugenia Martinez, related to the House of Alba.

The library is also located in this part, but it is one of the highlights and we will see it at the end of the tour.

Going up to the first floor by a spectacular staircase, we will find some surprises, such as several hellenistic sculptures and a old buggy which was used for walks.

The first floor first houses an atrium in which we can see several paintings with portraits of some members of this family saga.

Then we will go through the left gallery where we will find the Estuardo, Flamenco, Gran Duque or Zuloaga Room that house authentic and invaluable jewels of art.

On Reception Room for Official Visits we can enjoy a huge 16th century Flemish tapestrynext to a bust of the current Duke of Alba, and from here the rest of the rooms are distributed.

Some of them are dedicated to flamenco works of art with unique paintings, such as the double portrait of Charles V with his wife Isabel of Portugal, work of Rubens, which is a copy of the original Tiziano .

During the tour through the corridors and in many of the rooms we can see photos and personal or collectible objects of Alba's family.

Hall of the Grand Duke of Alba

Another of the most impressive rooms is the Hall of the Grand Duke of Alba, where two portraits of the patriarch of the family of Tiziano along with gigantic tapestries of decisive battles in the history of Spain.

At the end of the left hallway we discover the Office work, with works of to the hole, portraits of the current grandparents Duke of Alba and Cayetana as a girl riding a horse.

But it is the very interesting desk of the Duke of James Fitz-James the one that stands out from the rest of the furniture, since it is original desk of Napoleon Bonaparte brought from Paris by his nephew's widow Napoleon III.

Portrait of the Duchess of Alba, painting by Goya in the Liria Palace

La room dedicated to Goya It doesn't go unnoticed either, here it is one of the artist's most famous paintings, the one dedicated to the Duchess of Alba, muse of the Aragonese.

At this point we find larger rooms used for large events.

Some remind us of many movies that we have all imagined at some point, like the Dance room or Dining room with its huge chandeliers.

It is in the aforementioned dining room where we also find enormous 18th century Indian tapestries, very colorful and exotic.

Next to this room is the Empress Maria Eugenia, who died in this palace in 1920.

Liria Palace Library

At the exit we can enjoy a trip back in time in the magnificent Palace Library, an archive full of incunabula and historical documents.

The most surprising are the letters from himself. Christopher Columbus, among them a list of the names of the crew members of his first voyage and a map, or rather the outline of the Hispaniola island made by the discoverer.

Among unique books is the primera Biblia known in Romance language from the 14th century and a first edition of El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes.

Together with them, the marriage settlement de Juan of Aragon y Joan of Castile and the last testament of Ferdinand the Catholic.

The final point of the route is the jpalace gardens, with its enormous and leafy trees, which provides a visual and sound backdrop for the interior, allowing the residents of the palace to get away from the noise and bustle of this central area of ​​the capital.

Here you can take some photos at the end of the visit.

Where is and how to get to the Liria Palace in Madrid

El Liria Palace is in the 2nd Princess Street, where you can arrive in Metro to Plaza de España o Ventura Rodríguez, and if you go by car, you can park in the Princesa or Plaza de España parking lot.

Liria Palace with guided tour and audio guide

La visit of the Liria Palace It is performed with an audio guide and accompanied by the palace guides.

This audio guide is essential to better understand what we are seeing, with music being the common thread that immerses us in this tour and that on many occasions makes the paintings and rooms we see come to life.

To do this, it has exquisitely selected pieces of Haydn, Boccherini, Tchaikovsky o Strauss, all related to the House of Alba, who promoted the cultivation of music for centuries.

The voices of professional dubbing actors are very enveloping, they recreate historical or significant moments in the family's history, with dialogues, fragments of family letters or quotes from original documents that are most evocative and make us feel part of their history.

Liria Palace visit schedules

The Liria Palace visiting hours They are, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 20 p.m., with last admission at 18,30:10 p.m., and on Mondays, from 15 a.m. to 13,30 p.m., with last admission at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

Access to the visit is every 30 minutes, the tickets are assigned the start time, and you must arrive 10 minutes before at the door of the palace, which is located on Calle Princesa 22.

What is the duration of the visit to the Liria Palace?

La visit of the Liria Palace has a duration of about 65 minutes, takes place in groups of 18 people and at all times you will be accompanied by the guides.

Keep in mind that you will not be able to take photos inside the palace, only in the gardens at the end of the visit.

On the other hand, the visit for now is not adapted to people with hearing or visual disabilities, but it is enabled for people with reduced mobility with two places in each group, which must be communicated in advance.

Liria Palace ticket prices

If you are visiting Madrid, it is better that you buy your ticket in advance because you will save time and money, since at the box office it will cost you 1 euro more and you risk not having a ticket at the time you want.

El General admission price accompanied by a guide and with an audio guide it is 38 euros.

How and when to visit the Liria Palace for free

They can visit free Children under 6 years old, and the general public, on non-holiday Mondays at 10 a.m., until capacity is reached.

These free tickets They can be purchased online on the palace website a week in advance, starting at 12.00:XNUMX p.m. on Monday.