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Palacio Real & Monumento a Felipe IV | Monument to Philip IV, Madrid

by Elinor

Palacio Real & Monumento a Felipe IV | Monument to Philip IV, Madrid

Behold a miracle of 17th century engineering. According to legend, Philip IV wanted to have a bolder and more impressive equestrian statue than his father, Philip III (you can see that one in the Plaza Mayor).

So he commanded it to be so. The Italian sculptor, Pietro Tacca, was commissioned to cast it in bronze, using a painting by Velázquez as the design inspiration. But putting that much weight in the air, on the hindquarters of a horse, is trickier than it looks.

To solve the problem, Tacca consulted none other than Galileo Galilei. Galileo’s solution was to place the center of gravity as far to the back as possible, with a tail for extra ballast. In addition, this statue hides a secret—the rear is solid bronze but the front is hollow.

When he had finished with his plans and calculations, Galileo declared the statue would stand forever.

The horse has stood, but the head of the king has not. When Philip IV saw the finished product, he said his face was all wrong and demanded that the statue be decapitated. A new head was finished 6 months later. 

Philip IV had the Habsburg jaw and protruding lips, so it’s interesting to speculate whether the initial sculpture reflected that fact.

Museum Bonus

The Museo del Prado has at least one equestrian portrait of Philip IV on Horseback by Velázquez. You can see how Tacca and Galileo had to raise the angle of the horse’s hooves to compensate for the bronze material.

Filed Under: Madrid Tagged With: madrid, monument to philip iv, monumento a felipe iv, palacio real, royal palace

Palacio Real | Royal Palace, Madrid

by Elinor

Palacio Real | Royal Palace, Madrid

The Palacio Real feels a lot like Buckingham Palace: stately, restrained, and lacking in spice.

But the earth has a great deal of pedigree. For many centuries, the Royal Alcázar of Madrid stood on this ground, a Moorish palace that became a royal residence. It held countless treasures from the Spanish empire.

On Christmas Eve, A.D. 1734, a fire broke out in the rooms of the Court artist, Jean Ranc. The alarm was raised at 15 minutes past midnight, but many people confused it with the festive bells for matins. To prevent looting, the doors of the Alcázar were also initially kept closed.

The result was a disaster. Paintings that were fixed to the walls, including La Expulsión de los Moriscos by Velázquez, went up in flames. Silver was reduced to molten metal. Jewels, cash, and other artwork—including Las Meninas—were hurled from the windows.

After four days, the Alcázar was a pile of smoking rubble and in need of an upgrade.

The palace that you see here was built between A.D. 1738 and 1755, and first inhabited by Charles III, the cheerful “Mayor King.” One of the best reasons to take the tour—despite the feeling of being corralled like a sheep—is to see Charles III’s private apartments. 

Museum Bonus

To get a sense of the forgotten world, have a look at the Museo del Prado’s painting of Charles III Dining Before the Court by Luis Paret.

Filed Under: Madrid Tagged With: madrid, palacio real, royal palace

Palacio Real | Royal Palace – Grand Staircase Ceiling, Madrid

by Elinor

Palacio Real | Royal Palace - Grand Staircase Ceiling, Madrid

This pastel ceiling fresco lies above the Grand Staircase, where kings and queens (and millions of tourists) have trod. It’s by the Rococo artist Corrado Giaquinto and it shows The Triumph of Religion and the Church.

Filed Under: Madrid Tagged With: madrid, palacio real, royal palace

Palacio Real | Royal Palace – Prince’s Gate, Madrid

by Elinor

Palacio Real | Royal Palace - Prince's Gate, Madrid

Filed Under: Madrid Tagged With: madrid, palacio real, royal palace

Palacio Real | Royal Palace – Lampposts, Madrid

by Elinor

Palacio Real | Royal Palace - Lampposts, Madrid

Filed Under: Madrid Tagged With: madrid, palacio real, royal palace

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