El Pardo Royal Palace

An old Royal residence

This Royal Palace in Madrid is on El Pardo Hill, which has almost 16,000 hectares of woodland, to the north of the city.

It was built in the 16th century, during the reign of Philip II, over the remains of a small castle that Charles I constructed in the 15th century. This is why El Pardo Palace inherited the structure of a medieval castle with towers at the corners, surrounded by a moat. Besides its architectural beauty, the monument is also outstanding for its interior decoration. It has wonderful tapestries following the compositions of artists like Bayeu and Goya. You can also see 18th- and 19th-century furniture, and works of art such as Juan de Flandes’ Portrait of Isabella the Catholic and Ribera’s Portrait of Don Juan José de Austria on horseback. Since 1983 it has been used as residence of foreign heads of state on official visits to Spain.

Practical info:
Construction: Palace
Origin: 16th century
Artistic period: Baroque
Historic period: 18th century
Setting: El Príncipe House, La Zarzuela Palace, Capuchinos Convent.

Prices:
General: €9
Reduced: €4
Children 5-16 years, over 65s, students.
Admission free
Children under 5; and on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon (European Union citizens), and 18 May.
ICOM members and associations: Admission free
Disabled persons: Admission free

Useful information:
From Apr 01 to Sep 30
From Monday to Sunday
Does not close at midday
From 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
From Oct 01 to Mar 31
From Monday to Sunday
Does not close at midday
From 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 and 15 May, 9 November, and 24, 25 and 31 December.