The Largest Royal Palace in EuropeSep 29, 2018
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| The Royal Palace of Madrid, completed in 1764 after the former palace was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Eve 1734 is the largest royal palace in Europe. Every single room is a unique treasure box. Well, every single room of the 23 opened for touring, anyway Unfortunately no photos are allowed, beyond the grand entry staircase, so what few interior photos you see are taken from a book on the gift shop. Intending to intimidate visitor, most Royal Armoury buildings display guns, cannons and other weapons. King Phillip II, however, chose to display suits of parade, tournament and battle armour crafted for himself, his father Emperor Charles V and other ancestors. This impressive and important collection even includes suits sized from boyhood through to what was for a rather portly man. Of course the king’s horses were also well-armoured, but who would have expected one made for his dog? These pieces truly are works of both craftsmanship and engineering. It would be interesting if the information had included how much each weighed. Though the royals now take up residence in palace(s) elsewhere around Madrid this is still a worksite used for many state ceremonies. In fact, when I came with Vicki & Anil in 2009 we were turned away on our first attempt because the king was on site. |
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