The Palaces of Madrid!

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Did you know there are other palaces besides the royal palace? Madrid is home to 12 palaces. Some are located on hidden streets, around the corner, and even a little outside of the city. If you have visited all the other big attractions and sights in Madrid, you should check out the many beautiful palaces rich in history and culture! Here are the 12 Palaces and Manors of Madrid!

1. Palacio de Buenavista

The Palacio de Buenavista is generally closed to the public, but guided tours are available with a prior reservation via email at [email protected].

Located near the Plaza de Cibeles on an outcrop with gardens, this palace is a very large building that once was the Dukes of Alba’s residence. The architect Pedro de Arnal designed the current palace after the thirteenth Duchess of Alba had the existing building knocked down and rebuilt. The original building was built in 1767 on the royal estate known as Altillo de Buenavista. Many of famous pieces of art were housed here and at one point the palace was wanted as the location for the Royal Museum of Paintings (known as the Prado Museum). Today it is the General Headquarters of the Army.

2. Palacio de Laredo

The Laredo Palace appears to be temporarily closed. For more information please consult with the University of Alcalá.

Just outside of Madrid on the way to Alcalá de Henares you will find something quite unique. The Laredo Palace was built by the architect, painter, and restorer Manuel Laredo in 1882. Laredo was a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and the palace was his family home. Now it belongs to the Madrid City Hall and is home to the Cisnerian Museum of the University. When you step into the palace you will see visible influences and similarities of the Alhambra in Granada. There is also an original gothic vault that is still in good condition and shows one of the oldest planetariums in the world. Around the palace is one of the few remaining conserved gardens of romantic style in Alcalá.

3. Palacio de Zurbano

Visits to the Zrubano Palace are limited to the fall season. Visit the official Madrid Community page for more information.

This is a traditional palace house located in the neighborhood of Almagro. It was commissioned as a hotel, which was considered a single-family house for the Count of Muguiro. Severiano Sainz de la Lastra built the building between 1878 and 1881. The heirs of Ángela Beruete sold the property in 1919 and a few years later Eladio Laredo carried out a second enlargement. Fun fact, the future queen of Belgium, Fabiola de Mora y Aragón was born in this building. After her family sold the building it underwent more renovations. The interior has a classic layout and there is a large beautiful staircase that was built during the time of Marquis of Casa Riera.

4. Palacio Parque Florido

The Florido Park Palace is a full functioning museum with guided vists and online ticket sales. Visit the official web for more information.

The known art collector Jose Lázaro Galdiano dreamed of building a palace that would act a both a museum and home to his family. Thus, the Palacio Parque Florido was constructed in the heart of the Salamanca distrct. The building houses many treasures and valuable art collections, all from Galdiano personal collection. In 1948 a foundation in his honor was established and the palace was opened to the public for viewing.

5. Palacete Joaquín Sorolla (Museo Sorolla)

The Palacete is now a well known art museum known simply as the Museo Sorolla. The museum is currently under renovation and will be reopened in 2026. Visit the official website for more information.

Palacetes – also known as small palaces or mansions – were the perfect solution for Spanish aristocratic families who wished to live in luxury in the very centre of Madrid. This particular palacete was both a home and a studio to Joaquín Sorolla and his family. After his success in the United States in 1910, Sorolla commissioned the project from the architect Enrique Repullés y Vargas. With designs inspired heavily by the Alcazar in Sevilla and other Moorish buildings around the country. The house and study are connected by the main staircase, central courtyard and has a notable garden space like those you’d find in Seville.

6. Palacio Fernán Núñez

Visits to the Fernán Núñez Palace can be visited upon request. Visit the official website for all booking options.

Located near the Reina Sofia Museum and in the heart of Madrid, you will find the almost hidden Palace of Fernán Núñez. This palace was built as a home for Blas Jover who was council secretary for Fernando VI. The palace is a beautiful mid-18^th-century building that was the Headquarters of the Fundación de los Ferrocarilles Españoles (Spanish Railways Foundation). It is decorated with numerous carpets and tapestries of the Royal Factory of Santa Barbara and also has silk fabrics, marbles, bronzes, and luxurious furniture. The plot of land belonged to the Santa Isabel convent and today it is one of the best-preserved palaces in Madrid.

7. Palacio de Parcent

The Parcent Palace is now the office of the Ministry and is not open to visits from the public

The Palacio de Parcent is also known as the House of the Seven Gardens. Built in 1728 by the architect Juan Valenciano, the palace was inhabited by the Duchess of San Fernando in the middle of the XIX century. A few years later, nuns took over and ran a school for girls in the palace, before it was eventually abandoned for many years. Later, the Countess of Parcent acquired it, making it her residence and later a museum where she often hosted artists and aristocrats from various circles in Madrid. Today it the Ministry of Justice.

8. Palacete Joaquín de la Torre

Visits to the Joaquín de la Torre Palace are limited to the fall season. Visit the official Madrid Community page for more information.

The property was originally purchased in 1892 by Joaquín de la Torre and the architect Eugenio Jiménez Correra was commissioned to work on the project. However, his plans fell-though and the task was eventually given to Luis María Castiñeira. The palacete that he built can be seen today, with a unique exterior and even more unique interior. With hints of Reinassance and Neoplateresco accents.

9. Casa Palacio de Pedro de Luján

An example of a typical Madrid medieval house of traditional Islamic style, this house palace is one of the oldest buildings that exist in Madrid. It was built in 1471 for Pedro de Luján the son of Miquel Jiménez de Luján, who was originally from Aragón. After his death, his children divided the house manor into two independent entrances: la Casa-torre de Pedro de Luján and la Casa de Álvaro de Luján. In the 19^th century both manors were saved from being demolished when the Ministry of Development to the Count of Oñate acquired them. After undergoing many remodels, the buildings were rejoined in 1996 by the Academy of Moral Sciences and Policies.

10. Palacio Marqués de Rafal

This building is in front of a library and located in the historical center in the Plaza del Marqués of Rafal. The palace contains various works of art from the Gothic centuries to the present. It is also home to an interesting collection of tapestries and a library that includes an important archive with notarial protocols of the 17^th century. The main façade of the building has two access points. One gives access to the courtyard of the palace and the other to the main staircase, which is decorated with military objects such as armor and sabers.

11. Palacio de Godoy

In 1776 the palace was commissioned to Francisco Sabatini as a place to accommodate the first Secretaries of the Office and corresponding administrative dependencies. It is located the Madrid of the Austrias. Be sure to take a look at the staircase, which is the building’s most characteristic, distinctive feature that makes a bold statement. The name comes from the residents Marques of Grimaldi and Manuel de Godoy, Prince of Peace, and both ministers of the king. While Godoy was living in the palace he decorated the inside of the palace with marble, frescoes, gorgeous sculptures and doors. Presently, the palace is home to the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies.

12. Palacio de Villafranca

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The palace has been the residence of noble families of Madrid since the end of the 17^th century. At one point in time, it was know as the palace of the marquesa de Pinohermoso. Due the acquisition efforts of one nobleman, the palace was constructed. One of the most well known tenants of the palace was Maria Teresa Cayetana de Silva, the Duchess of Alba. Today, the palace is a historic building on calle de Don Pedro and is the headquarters of the Real Academic de Ingenieria. This organization was ceded by the state in 2005 with the commitment to completely rehabilitate the building, which is exactly what they did.