Galería de las Colecciones Reales
Galería de las Colecciones Reales · Madrid
Por Spain ·
Situated next to the Royal Palace in Madrid, the museum houses an outstanding selection of works of art that showcase the richness and diversity of the collections held by National Heritage, the result of the Spanish Monarchy’s prominent role as a collector and patron of the arts over the years.
The Royal Collections Gallery is one of Spain’s most significant museum projects of recent decades.
The first thing that strikes you is its location: a 40,000-square-metre building carved out of the rock and perfectly integrated into the surroundings of the Royal Palace, stretching from the Campo del Moro gardens to the palace’s Plaza de la Armería, where the main entrance to the museum is situated.
Designed by the architects Luis Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón, the complex has been recognised with prestigious architectural awards and offers unrivalled views over the Casa de Campo and the city of Madrid.
Once inside, the focus is on the 650 items that make up the museum’s impressive exhibition: a selection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture and all manner of decorative arts, amongst other objects, including works by great artists such as Velázquez, Caravaggio, Goya, Titian, Bosch, Luisa Roldán and El Greco, to name but a few.
A visit to the Royal Collections Gallery also offers the chance to learn, through videos, scale models and various educational resources, about the construction of monuments such as the Monastery of El Escorial and the Palace of La Granja, as well as the conservation and research work carried out by National Heritage.
Furthermore, the museum features a temporary exhibition gallery and a large immersive cube where visitors can view 360° projections of the architectural and natural spaces of the Royal Sites; the entrance to this is on the Cuesta de la Vega (near the Campo del Moro gardens).
White Horse. Diego de Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez. 1634–1639. Oil on canvas, 325 x 263 cm © Patrimonio Nacional Salome with the Head of John the Baptist. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. 1607.
Oil on canvas, 126 x 149 cm © National Heritage Polyptych of Isabella the Catholic. Juan de Flandes. 1496–1504. Set of 15 oil paintings on panel, 21 x 16 cm (each) © National Heritage The Archangel Saint Michael Defeating the Devil. Luisa Roldán ‘La Roldana’. 1692.
Polychrome and gilded carving, 264 x 137 x 170 cm © National Heritage The Garden of Earthly Delights. Hieronymus Bosch. Brussels, c. 1550–1560. Tapestry of gold, silver, silk and wool, 292 x 492 cm. © National Heritage Queen Barbara of Braganza’s sedan chair.
Second third of the 18th century. Corrado Giaquinto (1703–1766). Carved, gilded and painted wood. 220 x 87 x 102 cm. © National Heritage Four Solomonic columns created by José de Churriguera between 1674 and 1678, based on a design by Herrera el Mozo. 5.65 metres high and weighing 600 kg (each). © National Heritage What to do Upcoming visits
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