El Pardo

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Palacio Real de El Pardo is a Spanish royal palace in Madrid. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency. It began as a royal hunting pavilion and became an alternative residence of the kings of Spain until Alfonso XII, who died in the palace in 1885.

It was King Enrique III who ordered the building of the pavilion in 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. On 13 March 1604, a massive fire destroyed many of the paintings, including masterpieces by Titian. 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.

The interior decoration includes a ceiling frescoed by Gaspar Becerra, and paintings by Vicenzo Carducho and Cabrera.

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
Royal monasteries: Descalzas Reales | La Encarnación | Sta. Clara de Tordesillas | Las Huelgas | Valle de los Caídos
Sanctuaries under royal patronage: Panteón de Hombres Ilustres | San Pascual | Sta. Isabel | Colegio de Doncellas Nobles

Coordinates: 40°31′19″N, 3°46′28″W

• Patrimonio Nacional.