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| West facade of Spain's Royal Palace |
We saw the Grand Staircase, with its statue of Charles III in Roman toga on the ground floor and Charles IV and two large carved lions on the landing. We toured the royal apartments, the Chamber of Columns, the banqueting hall and library. No photos were allowed in the apartments, which were filled with amazing clocks, a room completely decorated in porcelain and a five piece chamber orchestra of Stradivarius violins and violas. We saw ceilings painted by Velázquez and tapestries woven from original cartoons by Goya of country and hunting scenes.
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| Royal chambers and the family of King Juan Carlos |
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| Tapestries line the walls |
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| Tapestry detail, showing the characteristic Goya faces |
Opposite of the Royal Palace, across the Plaza de la Armaria, is the imposing Cathedral Santa Maria de Real de la Almudena. When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo and the new capital had no cathedral. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century, but the cost of expanding and keeping the colonial empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. The construction of the Almudena cathedral only began in 1879.
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| The Almudena Cathedral was consecrated in 1993 |
The cathedral was built on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1083 when Alfonso VI reconquered Madrid. The Cathedral is designed in the Gothic revival style and was finally completed and consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. The marriage of King Felipe VI, then crown prince, took place at the Cathedral in May 2004.
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| King Felipe VI was married in the newly consecrated cathedral in 2004 |
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| More views of the Royal Palace from the plaza |
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