If you would like to to discover a new artistic corner to visit in Madrid, I advise you to write down the list of palace of the Marquis of Villafranca.
With the visit of this palace that you find in La Latina, very close to the church of San Andrés, you will have a sample of the numerous palaces and stately homes that were in Madrid at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
El palace of the Marquis of Villafranca It has been the residence of noble Madrid families since the end of the 17th century, and at one time it was also known as the Palace of the Marchioness of Pinohermoso.
Currently, this historic building that you can see on 10 Don Pedro Street is the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Engineering, an organization to which it was transferred by the State in 2005 with the commitment to completely rehabilitate the building.
El palace of the Marquis of Villafranca It is the result of the acquisition of a block of buildings by said nobleman, who broke it up and dedicated a part of it to the construction of the palace.
One of the illustrious tenants of the palace during its history was María Teresa Cayetana de Silva, the Duchess of Alba that Goya once painted, and the ancestor of the current tenant of the Liria Palace in Madrid.
But in the 70s, illustrious people such as Ava Gardner, Jackie Kennedy or dukes of windsor, during the time when it was the headquarters of the then famous La Puerta de Moros restaurant.
The restaurant closed in the 80s, and the building was occupied by the Olive Oil Agency, from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Now, after its complete remodeling, the Royal Academy of Engineering, complying with the regulations of the National Heritage, is committed to showing the interior of the palace free of charge to visitors who wish to do so.
The main attraction of the visit of the palace of the Marquis of Villafranca is the possibility of seeing some of the architect's artistic works Arturo Melida, who decorated it in his day.
But, also, the building keeps inside a 17-meter-long section of the old Christian wall of Madrid, one of the longest that can still be seen in the city.
La remodeling It has left this section exposed, while you can also see in the basement one of the original galleries through which centuries ago the water passed from the fountains in the center of Madrid to the Royal Palace.
In the visit Also see from the central patio where the palace rooms and a residential building overlook, the interior gallery of the palace.
It is a metal structure from the 19th century that preserves the gaps in its original stained glass windows, which have now been occupied by others with a modern design.
After the remodeling, the palace shows a mix of modern and functional design spaces, combined with rooms and corners in which the original decoration has been recovered.
Without a doubt, the most splendid room you can see during your visit is the Dance room, or Music Room, since it is not large in size.
With Pompeian style decoration, the enormous central lamp will catch your attention, oversized for the space where it is located.
In the Library or Gathering Room You will find one of the most original corners, a coffered wooden ceiling decorated with ceramics (I admit that I have never seen anything like it).
And in the Cabinet Room The impressive baroque style fireplace made of walnut and Balsaín pine stands out. There is also a large copy of a painting by Rubens from the 17th century.
This is not the only notable fireplace you will see, as there is also another white marble fireplace in a room that also shows a decorated ceiling.
The guided tours of the palace of the Marquis of Villafranca They take place 10 hours a day, and as I said before, they are free.
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To participate in one of the visits, you must request it by sending an email to the address secretaria@real-academia-de-ingenieria.org, indicating the number of people.
Depending on the season, you may be assigned the tour group for several weeks later.
More information about the palace of the Marquis of Villafranca
I would appreciate information about the cost of tickets to the Palaces they promote and if people with a Non-Motor Disability Certificate have free entry.
Very grateful, cordial greetings
There is no way to get an individual place in any Palace. The places are previously awarded to agencies, tour operators, neighborhood associations... It is said that there must be a minimum group of people, so they should get the first 25 on the list and so on. It is pure cronyism and lack of transparency in the allocation as well as with the reserve lists.