Paris1972-Versailles2003

The Palacio Real or Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain. The present kings do not reside within it, but rather at the palace of Zarzuela. The Royal Palace is used for protocol functions, and they are own and maintain by the Spanish government. The palace is bordered on the east by the Plaza de Oriente, from which it is separated by the Calle de Bailén. In the south finally, a huge square, called the Plaza de la Armeria, is surrounded by the wings of the palace with at the south of this square is the Cathedral of Almudena. My first tried was late and a long line so we went to the Galería de las Colecciones Reales , (Royal Collections Gallery) ,and a great choice indeed, a must to visit while in Madrid. Hope you enjoy the post as I

The Royal Collections Gallery (formerly the Royal Collections Museum) is a museum center dependent on the Patrimonio Nacional or National Heritage. During the 19C, the Crown Heritage gradually opened several museums in which the most precious assets that monarchs had collected over the centuries were exhibited. First, the Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture (1819) was opened, later renamed the Prado Museum, and later the Royal Armory (1849). At the same time, the collection of royal carriages could also be visited with a special permit in the Royal Stables, however, despite long debates, a Tapestry Museum was never opened in the Monastery of El Escorial.

The new Royal Collections Gallery will have a chronological layout that will begin on floor -1 with the Catholic Monarchs, the tapestry collections and the Royal Armory will dialogue with works by El Bosco, Tiziano, El Greco, Ribera, Velázquez and Caravaggio, among others. The Royal Monasteries as spaces for women and for power and patronage will also have their leading role. From this floor you can see the 9C wall discovered during the construction of the building, which is also explained through an audiovisual. Floor -2 begins with the plans for the new Royal Palace of Madrid, built by order of Felipe V after the fire in the Alcázar, and will end with the model of the Gallery. Musical instruments, furniture and decorative arts will speak of this first period of the Bourbons along with paintings by Mengs, Goya, Tiepolo, Paret and Maella. In the last section, photography is included and it is explained how the State assumed, through the National Heritage, a body created in the Second Republic, the conservation of the Royal Collections and the opening of the Royal Sites to the public. Finally, on the -3 floor, an immersive cube has been installed where the images of the architectural and natural spaces of the various Royal Sites will be projected in 360 degrees. The temporary exhibition hall will be located on this floor.

In all about 650 unique pieces: Velázquez, Patinir, Goya or Caravaggio. The Royal Collections Gallery opens, the new great museum in Madrid reveals the collecting and patronage zeal of the Spanish monarchy from the 15C to the 20C, The new museum , next to the Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral, a wonderful trio indeed. Inside the 40,000 square meter building of gray granite, concrete, oak and glass, carved into the rock, is just awesome !! See it

The first sample of the collection were four Solomonic columns by José de Churriguera and Francisco de Herrera el Mozo, decorated with gold leaf and lapis lazuli and weighing 600 kilos each. Among the 650 pieces, including paintings, furniture and models that will be permanently or temporarily exhibited in the Museum, the following stand out:  The Polyptych of Isabel la Católica by Juan de Flandes. The White Horse by Diego Velázquez. Salome with the head of John the Baptist by Caravaggio. Lamentation over the Dead Christ by Anton Raphael Mengs. The armor and helmet used by Carlos V in the battle of Mühlberg. The black carriage of Queen Mariana of Austria. Other works will be exhibited at the Museum on a temporary basis, giving the collection a rotating character, such as the Mühlberg harness by Desiderius Helmschmid (Royal Armory of Madrid), the Crucified Christ by Titian (El Escorial Monastery), the Adoration of the Name of Jesus by El Greco (El Escorial Monastery), the Christ on the Cross by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Monastery of El Escorial) or The Wild Boar Hunt by Francisco de Goya (Royal Palace of Madrid). Among the objects acquired by Patrimonio Nacional for its future exhibition at the Museum are a chest of drawers by Matías Gasparini, made during the reign of Carlos III; the Codex of the Golden Fleece, dated from the reign of Carlos I and acquired from the Valencia Institute of Don Juan in Madrid and the flamenco tapestry El triunfo del tiempo, from the 16C, which according to historians belonged to the collection of Isabel la Católica.

A bit of history I like:  In March 1934, a decree created the National Car Museum and in May a competition was called to build a new headquarters on Calle Bailén and attached to the Admiralty Palace for the Museum of the Car and Popular Art. Finally, a decree of May 5, 1936 established the creation of a Museum of Weapons and Tapestry, which would also include rugs, cars and tack, historical souvenirs, objects that completed numbered series and paintings, drawings, prints, models and books that serve to document the collections of the museum. Its headquarters would be the same as the one proposed in the 1934 competition. The start of the Spanish Civil War paralyzed the project, which was resumed, although without materializing, in 1950 and 1980. The National Heritage first raised the idea of erecting the museum in 1998, taking up the idea of creating a new museum of carriages but also exhibiting works of art, jewelry and tapestries from the dynasties that reigned in Spain in recent centuries, the Habsburgs and the Bourbons. Finally, in 2006 the construction works began, In December 2015, the National Heritage received the finished building, The building works were completed in 2015, the interior fitting-out and museography remained ​Finally, in June 2022, it was announced that it would open in the summer of 2023 under the name of «Royal Collections Gallery» In April 2023, it was confirmed that the gallery would open on June 28, 2023, in an act presided over by King Felipe VI. And I was there on July 18 2023 !

The Palacio Real Colecciones Reales Gallery :https://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/actualidad/galeria-de-las-colecciones-reales

The Madrid tourist office on the Royal Collections Gallery: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/royal-collections-gallery

There you go folks, another fine find in my dear Madrid, This is a must to visit and understand more the history of my dear Spain. The Royal Collections Gallery is a wonderful history of my dear Madrid, Again, hope you have enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all !!!