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Jun 68 min read

Entry 6

Monday, June 3rd

Today, we went to El Palacio Real. On our way there, we visited the grave of Diego Velázquez, who was one of the best Spanish painters of the 17th century (Diego Velazquez | Biography, Art, & Facts | Britannica, 2024).

El Palacio Real is protected by a gate and it sits directly opposite to Catedral de la Almudena. Outside, it’s white and gray with several columns, windows and carvings.


Inside, there is a statue of Carlos III, the Spanish king who saw the completion of El Palacio Real, and who had the trademark Bourbon nose (Charles III | Enlightened Monarch of Spain | Britannica, n.d.). The statue of Carlos III is dressed in something like a Roman toga. As the professor said in La Granja, it was not uncommon for Spanish rulers to compare themselves to Roman emperors because they saw themselves as the natural successors of the Romans.

Inside, the palace is much more extravagant than the outside. The main staircase has a statue at the end along with the Spanish coat of Arms, statues of lions, and a painted ceiling with golden highlights.


Then, we went into the room where Spain officially decided to join the EU. Inside, there is a prominent statue with the Spanish coat of arms underneath. The room has gold chandeliers, several windows, and a painted ceiling.

We also went into the Antechamber of Carlos II, which even had a statue of him.


The Gasparini room was decorated with east-Asian designs, and I saw another painted ceiling in the hall of Carlos III.


There's even a painting of Carlos III and an inscription in Latin.

Then, we went to a church inside the palace. According to the professor, former king Juan Carlos I is planned to be buried underneath the floor of the church.

Next, we went into the crown room. The crown is not actually worn but it's used for ceremonial purposes.


After that, we visited the throne room with its painted ceiling and magnificent red and gold thrones.


Later, we looked at Real Armería where there was a collection of medieval weapons and armor.


I also saw some Japanese armor and some old guns.

Next, we went to Galería de Colecciones Reales. We saw columns decorated with golden vines originally from a church which were as tall as the ceiling.

We also saw more tapestries.

In building the museum, the builders uncovered the remains of a Moorish fortress (Royal Collections, n.d.).

After that, we looked at Adoración del Nombre de Jesús. The IHS at the top represents the first 3 letters of Jesus in Greek (What Do the Letters IHS Stand For?, n.d.). We also viewed Salomé con la Cabeza del Bautista which depicts John the Baptist’s head served on a platter (Royal Collections, n.d.).

Later, we looked at the Royal carriage from 1829-33 which is made out of carved and lacquered wood, golden bronze, iron, and other materials (Royal Collections, n.d.). Afterwards, I took a picture of Louis XVI of France who commissioned the painting as a gift to his grandson, Philip V of Spain (Royal Collections, n.d.).

After class was dismissed, I decided to go to the nearby cathedral where a man was playing beautiful harp music. I just sat on the steps and relaxed for a while.

Afterwards, I went back to Yugo and worked on my blog. Then, I had dinner and went to bed.


Tuesday, June 4th

Today, we went to Toledo. I was able to get a good picture of Toledo from a mountain where it's easy to see Toledo’s natural protection with the Tajo river.

Then, we met Mario, the tour guide, who lived in the US in the 1980s. According to Mario, right before and after Corpus Christi, Toledo is decorated with canopies. Mario said that the canopies blocking the sun represent Christ as the king of kings, since kings would historically have these canopies under their heads.


Next, Mario showed us the cathedral of Toledo. According to Mario, the cathedral is in a French-gothic style and in the shape of a cross when viewed from above.

Inside, the cathedral has very large columns and stained glass windows.


We looked at the main altar, which according to Mario, is facing Jerusalem. We also looked at El Transparente, a window surrounded by magnificent statues and paintings created by Narciso Tomé and his sons (catedralprimada.es, n.d.).

 Then, we visited the processional custody for Corpus Christi. It is decorated with gold and silver, and has intricate carvings that make it glimmer in the light.


Next, Mario took us to Santo Tomé church which houses El Entierro del Señor de Orgaz, one of El Greco's best ever paintings. It depicts Saints Stephen and Agustine burying the count of Orgaz during his funeral (El Entierro Del Conde de Orgaz - El Greco, n.d.).

Later, Mario walked us through the Jewish quarter to go to Santa María la Blanca synagogue. The Jewish quarter is denoted with menorahs and the Hebrew word "khaim" which means life.


According to Mario, the synagogue was converted into a church but is now a museum. He said the synagogue was commissioned by Jews but built by Muslims and the wall opposite to the main entrance points toward Jerusalem. Moreover, the men would go on one side of the wall and the women on the other side. Mario said that the columns have eight sides to symbolize infinity, but I think it also represents the eight days in the legend of the menorah. Mario explained that the synagogue wasn't just for religious worship but was also a place for meeting and teaching.

Mario had the quite the personality and he made a dramatic pose in the synagogue. Perhaps he was imitating Don Quixote.


After the tour, some classmates and I got some food at local restaurant. I had croquetas de jamón and a chocolate crêpe.


After lunch, I realized I had only an hour in Toledo. First, I went to the public library and got some great pictures of the cathedral of Toledo (note the cross shape). Then, I went to the nearby alcázar, which I was not allowed to go into.

Afterwards, I got pictures of a statue of Miguel de Cervantes and the outside of Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo.


I finally reached Mirador Alcántara and got some great pictures of it and the surrounding area.



Right after taking these pictures, my phone started to overheat. I had to make my way back to the main square from memory. Somehow, I managed to pull off getting back there on time. When, we finally arrived back in Madrid, I felt very tired but I worked on blog, had some dinner, and went to bed.


Academic Analysis: Beauty + Power

When I visited El Palacio Real I wondered why it was built in the first place, what its architecture represents, and what importance it has had.


In the place where El Palacio Real was built, there used to be a 9th-century Moorish fortress constructed by Mohamed I of the emirate of Córdoba (Royal Palace of Madrid | History, Description, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). In 1563, Felipe II commissioned the construction of an alcázar over the remains of the Moorish fortress (Vartikasingh, 2023). This alcázar was built in the Herrerian style which was known for geometric precision, simplicity, and minimal decoration (luckilywednesday, 2014). However, in 1734, the alcázar burnt down under Felipe V (Royal Palace of Madrid | History, Description, & Facts | Britannica, 2024.


When it came to rebuilding the palace, Felipe V modeled El Palacio Real off of Versailles. This makes sense, since Felipe V was French and born in Versailles (Philip V | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.). Instead of rebuilding the alcázar in the same architectural style, Felipe V started construction of El Palacio Real in the baroque and neoclassical styles.


Felipe V was the first Bourbon king of Spain, so he had to establish himself as a powerful ruler while also keeping some level of continuation from the previous ruling family (Philip V | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.). Building the palace in the same place as the original alcázar acknowledges the legacy of the Spanish Habsburgs but the change to the innovative baroque and neoclassical styles represents a change in the ruling power to a uniquely Bourbon Spain.


After Felipe V became the king of Spain, Spain lost the Netherlands and their Italian territories, diminishing Spain’s power in Europe (Philip V | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica, n.d.). El Palacio Real’s architectural and artistic beauty would have served as a reminder that Spain was still a superpower and was not deterred by its loss of territory.


Baroque architecture was characterized by bold decorations and numerous artworks (luckilywednesday, 2014; McLaughlin, 2023). It was developed as a counter to Protestantism, with the notion that artistic beauty would awe protestants into returning to the Catholic church (McLaughlin, 2023). The Bourbon rulers of Spain were Catholic and the Catholic church was still an important governmental institution so it makes sense why El Palacio Real was built in the Baroque style.


The first Spanish king to reside in El Palacio Real after its completion was Carlos III “The Enlightened One” (Charles III | Enlightened Monarch of Spain | Britannica, n.d.). The Enlightenment was the transition back to reason and scientific analysis developed by the Greeks and Romans (Charles III | Enlightened Monarch of Spain | Britannica, n.d.). The neoclassical style’s imposing columns and geometric simplicity, based on Greek and Roman architectural styles, is a reference to the Enlightenment. Hence, it makes sense why there are elements of the neoclassical style in El Palacio Real.


Furthermore, Palacio Real has had cultural and governmental importance. Originally, it was governmentally important because the rulers of Spain resided in it until Alfonso XIII (Royal Palace of Madrid | History, Description, & Facts | Britannica, 2024). Now, it is still governmentally important because official state ceremonies are held there, including dinners with the heads of state of other countries (according to the professor) (“Royal Palace of Madrid,” 2024). It is also culturally important. The palace’s own architectural and artistic beauty is easy to see. But, it also houses several museums, like Galería de Colecciones Reales and Real Armería.


So, what I can take away is that El Palacio Real has remained an artistic masterpiece in the baroque and neoclassical styles, alluded to 18th-century Catholic and Enlightenment ideals, and served as a governmental and cultural center.


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