El Pardo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Palacio Real de El Pardo is a Spanish royal palace near Madrid. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency.
It began as a royal hunting pavillion and became an alternative residence of the kings of Spain until Alfonso XII, who died in the palace. It was King Enrique III who ordered the building of the pavillion in the beginning of the fifteenth century (1406) on the mount of El Pardo, because of its abundant game. Later, in the time of Carlos I (1547), it was transformed into a palace. Carlos III renewed the building in the eighteenth century, appointing his architect Francesco Sabatini for the job. It was newly transformed in the twentieth century, doubling its size by repeating to the east its original structure.
Francisco Franco lived in the palace after the Spanish Civil War. After Franco's death, it has been used as a residence for visiting heads of state.
| Spanish royal sites |  |
| Palaces: Palacio Real de Madrid | Zarzuela | El Escorial | El Pardo | Aranjuez | La Granja | Riofrío | Alcázares de Sevilla | La Almudena |
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| Royal monasteries: Descalzas Reales | La Encarnación | Sta. Clara de Tordesillas | Las Huelgas | Valle de los Caídos |
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| Sanctuaries under royal patronage: Panteón de Hombres Ilustres | San Pascual | Sta. Isabel | Colegio de Doncellas Nobles |
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