Patrimonio Nacional

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage) is a Spanish state agency dependent of the Spanish Presidency Ministry that administers the sites owned by the Spanish state and used by the King of Spain and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for state ceremonies. The Patrimonio Nacional includes palaces, gardens, monasteries and convents, called the Royal sites. When not in official use, the Royal sites are open to the public.

During Alfonso XIII reign, it was known as Patrimonio Real (Royal Heritage).

Patrimonio Nacional organizes temporary exhibitions and concerts in the Royal sites. It also publishes catalogues of the Royal Collections, books on the Royal sites, facsimiles of some of the books held in the library of El Escorial and the Royal Library, visitors guides to the different sites as well as the official photographs of the King of Spain. There's also a quarterly magazine, Reales Sitios, about the art collections and cultural history of the Royal sites.