The Liria Palace, The Residence Of The House Of Alba In Madrid
The Palacio de Liria is the official residence of the Casa de Alba in the city of Madrid. It is a palace that is located in the popular Calle de la Princesa and that has to its credit the consideration of being the largest private residence in Madrid.
A palace with a lot of history
The Palacio de Liria is one of the most impressive historical buildings in Madrid. And it is not only the official residence of the current Duke of Alba, but it is also the headquarters of the historical archive of the family and a space that amazes for its majesty and grandeur.
Built in the 18th century, it ousted the Buenavista Palace as the official residence of this noble family in the capital of Spain. It all happened when the Duchess of Alba, Doña Cayetana XIII, died without issue and the family line passed to the Berwick house.
Some of the great events in the history of the country have taken place there, and characters such as Howard Carter, Wiston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Oscar Wilde, Igor Stravinski, Ortega y Gasset or Charlie Chaplin, among others, have walked through its rooms.
The Liria Palace, a petit hôtel- style palace
For its construction, Louis Guilbert, its main architect, relied on the so fashionable petit hôtel of that time. In this way, he projected an urban residence that was destined for the accommodation of the family and the servants, but only when their presence in the city was required, for business reasons or visits.
However, it seems that the performance of this French architect was not the most appropriate, and cracks and stability problems soon appeared. For this reason, the work would have been entrusted to Ventura Rodríguez, although this has not yet been fully verified.
What is certain is that he was so admired and valued that he was considered ‘the little brother of the Royal Palace’. It is a neoclassical building with a rectangular floor plan and beautiful gardens around it. This has gone through several reforms, transformations and reconstructions.
Specifically, a modification was made to the main staircase by the English architect Sir. Edwin Lutyens. Likewise, an almost total reconstruction was carried out after it was practically destroyed after the bombings and the fire that it suffered during the Spanish Civil War.
Its reconstruction was carried out by the architect Manuel Cabanyes, who was under the orders of the Duchess Dona Cayetana de Alba and her husband, Luis Martínez de Irujo.
The collection of works of art
The art collection that houses the Palacio de Liria is impressive. It is one of the most important private art collections in the world, the result of the collecting and patronage work that the Dukes of Alba have carried out for more than 500 years.
In it, it is worth highlighting the existence of paintings by some of the main artists of all history. Among them, Goya, Velázquez, Murillo, Zurbarán, Greco, Ribera, Rubens, Tiziano, Palma el Viejo, Brueghel de Velours, Madrazo and Winterhalter. All are accompanied by exquisitely delicate furniture, tapestries, sculptures, and decorative arts.
In addition, its historical archive and library also stand out; the latter can be visited and has more than 18,000 volumes. In it, you can find the Bible of the House of Alba, some autograph letters of Christopher Columbus, the last testament of Fernando the Catholic or the first edition of Don Quixote of Madrid from 1605. Jewels that you cannot miss.
Visit the Liria Palace
Its opening to the public took place on September 19, 2019 and the visit aims to be a sensory experience. Thus, it will be based on a well-studied tour, in which the music, words and voices that give life to the historical figures who have passed through the rooms of the palace and the images envelop the visitor.
Finally, there is also the possibility of private visits in groups of 20 people that include an art historian guide or an extended visit that includes the palace, the chapel, the gardens and the music room.
Cover: Facebook Palacio de Liria.
