El Pardo Royal Palace

This Royal Palace is located at the Mount of El Pardo. Spreading out over almost 16,000 hectares of forest located to the north of the capital, it is one of the royal palaces included in the National Heritage list.

It was built in the 16th century, during Philip II’s reign, on the site of a small castle that Charles I commissioned in the 15th century. Consequently, the palace of El Pardo inherited the structure of this medieval castle with towers at the corners and surrounded by a moat. As well as its architectural beauty, the monument stands out for its interior decoration. Some of the most notable elements are the tapestries created following compositions by artists such as Bayeu or Goya. It also boasts 18th and 19^th century furniture and important paintings. Since 1983 it has been used to accommodate foreign Heads of State on official visits to Spain although it is open to visitors when not in use.