Nearest metro stop: Opera

Not as crowded as Versailles or Schoenbrunn, I was able to pace myself (on this fixed route) quite nicely, up the grand staircase, and the various halls and rooms, with the loveliest chandeliers, frescoes, and armoires. The state dining room was impressive -- then again, what wasn't? -- and I heard it's still used for official banquets. All the time I was using mental telepathy to be invited to some function.

After another dreamy glance down at the interior courtyard, imagining ladies-in-waiting instead of the fiats that were actually present, I headed to the real armeria and the real farmacia to look at royal armor and royal medicine, respectively. A lovely view is on the west side of the courtyard, looking over Madrid.

Of the nearly 3,000 rooms within Palacio Real, only 250 are open to tourists. Treasures displayed among the fine rococo decoration include precious porcelain, tapestries, carpets, jeweled timepieces, a royal herbal pharmacy and a dining room table seating over 100 guests. From 1764, when Philip's son, Charles III, first took up residence to the resignation of Alfonso XIII in 1931, the Palacio proved to be a grand home for Spanish monarchs. Today, King Juan Carlos (who lives outside of Madrid) uses it only for official state functions.

Photographs WITHOUT the use of a flash are permitted.

In addition to the visit to the Palace, there is currently a temporary exhibit "The Orient at the Palace: Asian Treasures in the Spanish Royal Collections". Here no photos are allowed and no admission charge.
Open through June 1: Mon-Sat 9am–6pm, Sun and holidays 9am–3pm, closed on May 1 and May 15.

This exhibit is based on the treasures brought from the sails to the orient starting in the 16th century. The Spanish and the Portuguese were the first to reach the Far East and the ships brought back a lot of precious artifacts that meant prestige, beauty and inspiration of knowledge to their owners. Some of the objects were received as exchange gifts from the rulers of Asian and Islamic countries. Here you can see Chinese jars and swords from 15th-16th centuries, a huge war tent dating back to the 16th-17th centuries, a map of China in Chinese (16th century), hand-painted books, Japanese chests with inlays (16th century), Chinese folding screen made of 10 pieces with the scenes of the palace life (18th century), Chinese vases from Isabela Farnese’s collection, Chinese folding fans of ivory and painted wood (19th century), musical instruments, a kimono, diaries of travels and maps of cities in the East, and porcelain statues made at the Buen Retiro Porcelain factory inspired by the oriental porcelain. This is a very interesting and rare exhibit.

Next is Carlos III antechamber where he dined -– decorated in neoclassical style it has blue silk walls, clock by Godon in the form of tabernacle with figure of Chronos, four copies of Goya’s portraits (originals are in Prado), and the ceiling fresco is Mengs'' "Apotheosis of Hercules". The Carlos III Chamber is also called the Gasparini Room (after the original decorator) where king dressed -- it is decorated in Rococo chinoiserie style, the walls and ceiling have gorgeous ornaments with black and blue flowers on the beige background, and embroideries are from the Bergonzini salon. Next is the Carlos III Salon, which has a gorgeous French chandelier in fleur de lis form and a ceiling fresco by Maella. The most original room is the Porcelain Room with green vines and wreaths on a white background -- the whole decoration of the walls, ceiling and the chandeliers was made of royal porcelain at the Buen Retiro Porcelain Factory. And then comes the largest room in the palace –- the Gala Dining Room created in 1879 by Alfonso XII: it consists of two rooms that can be treated as two separate rooms or used as one; one has a frescoed ceiling by Mengs showing "Aurora in her chariot", the other by Antonio Velazquez, "Christopher Columbus Before Catholic King and Queen". The room is really enormous with Sevres porcelain vases, Brussels tapestries (16th century) and a table that can accommodate over 150 people. There is also Salon of Cinema -– here Alfonso XIII watched films on Sundays. This room has an amazing very long table with inlays in the middle, and 2 very large crystal chandeliers hanging over it. The most priceless room in the palace is of course the Stradivarius room -– here you can see several cellos, violins and violas commissioned by Carlos II in 1688 from Stradivarius, each of the instruments now behind a heavy glass. There is also an Instrument Room with clocks, harps and a ceiling fresco by Bayeu "Providence Attended by the Virtues and Faculties of Men". And who can forget Maria Cristina’s official apartments with El Greco paintings on the walls and the Royal Chapel with a frescoed ceiling, a large 18th-century organ, and thrones under the canopy.

There is also a separate visit to the Royal Pharmacy with a huge collection of labeled jars and herbs, and Real Armeria has knight armor of Carlos V along one of the walls and Felipe II along the other with the full armor that Carlos V was wearing in Titian’s painting "Portrait of Carlos V on the horse at Mulhberg" (in Prado) also here on display.

Continued in Part III