Day 1: The Royal Palace Of Madrid, Mercado San Miguel, La Plaza Mayor And More
BREAKFAST - eat a big breakfast... as lunch will be very late today!
Stop 1: The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid )
Private Tour €45 meet at 9:30 skip the line
The Royal Palace of Madrid or Palacio Real de Madrid is probably one of those places that are in almost everyone's itinerary. It’s a majestic building and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. And if you think the outside is impressive just wait until you see the inside. The palace boasts the royal crown jewels, paintings from Caravaggio, Francisco de Goya, and Diego Velázquez and the only complete Stradivarius string quintet left in the world. Another must visit part of the palace is the Royal Chapel or La Capilla Real de Madrid with frescoes by Giaquinto.
The complex where the Royal Palace of Madrid is, consists of several other buildings, parks and historical plazas like The Plaza de Oriente, The Plaza de la Armería and The Almudena Cathedral. They are some of the most important symbolic and historical sites in Spain and one of the most popular in Europe. The Royal Palace, the adjacent building and surrounding plazas and parks are the perfect area to spend most of the morning of your 1st day exploring the grounds and learning about the particularities of the Spanish history and culture. You’ll also enjoy some of the amazing greenery that Madrid has to offer if you decide to visit some of the gardens in the grounds. Campo del Moro Gardens and Sabatini Gardens won’t disappoint!
LUNCH - be sure to pack a protein bar as we will be having a LATE, LATE lunch. There is a cafeteria if you want to grab a quick bite!
After our tour, we will have about 2 hours to enjoy the Armory and the new Royal Collections Gallery. The main entrance to the Gallery is located on the ‘cornice’ of the Armería square. From this entrance, the route takes visitors down three levels to learn about the outstanding role played by the Spanish monarchy as collectors and patrons, as well as the work of Patrimonio Nacional in the conservation, research and dissemination of the rich cultural and natural heritage it manages.
Visitors will descend via wide ramps where they will be shown various audiovisual resources that contextualise the collections they are about to discover. In the first room (floor -1), devoted to the Habsburgs, the collections of tapestries and the Royal Armoury enter into dialogue with works by Bosch, Titian, El Greco, Ribera, Velázquez and Caravaggio. The construction of the Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial occupies a prominent place, as does the founding of the Royal Convents, quintessentially feminine spaces and symbols of power and patronage.
This floor offers a privileged insight into the origins of Madrid: the 9th-century city wall and gate discovered during the construction of the building. The archaeological room explains the history of early Madrid and the evolution of the city up to the present day with a video and various educational aids.
The tour of floor -2, dedicated to the Bourbons, begins with the architectural drawings of the new Royal Palace, built on the orders of Philip V after a fire destroyed the Alcázar, and ends with a model of the Royal Collections Gallery as an epilogue to the major monumental and museum complex of the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Themes such as music, the royal factories and manufactories and the construction of the Royal Palace of La Granja, represented through decorative arts, tapestries, musical instruments and furniture, will be displayed alongside works by Mengs, Goya, Tiepolo, Paret and Maella. At the end of the tour visitors receive an explanation of the purpose and role of Patrimonio Nacional, the institution responsible, among other functions, for the conservation and dissemination of the Royal Sites and the Royal Collections.
Floor -3, accessible from the Campo del Moro gardens, is designed as a more dynamic exhibition space. In addition to the temporary exhibition room, there is a large immersive cube offering 360º video projections of the architectural and natural spaces of the Royal Sites.
We will finish up at the Cathedral.
The Almudena Cathedral is the most important religious building in Madrid. It was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on 15 June 1993, making it the first cathedral to be consecrated outside of Rome.The construction of la Almudena began on 4 April 1883 when Alfonso XII of Spain set the first stone. The project was driven and designed by the architect Francisco de Cubas.
The temple’s interior is rather surprising since it is completely different to any other cathedral built during the same period; the ceiling and the stained-glass windows being decorated with vivid colours and straight lines, much unlike the classical style.
La Almudena Cathedral Museum - La Almudena Cathedral Museum features numerous items that portray the history of the diocese of Madrid. The museum is made up of twelve halls that contain mosaics, Episcopal symbols and vestments.
Although the museum is small, it is a lot more interesting to visit than it would seem at first.
Should you climb the dome? Unlike certain cathedrals like Notre Dame in Paris, the Cathedral’s dome is neither spectacular nor does it provide good views of Madrid. We suggest exploring this part of the church only if you're also going to visit the museum, since the entrance ticket includes access to both parts.
Lunch... headed north after all day in the Palace and surrounding museums. We can take in a late lunch at the Cafe de la Galeria. Cheeseburger is about $15.50, for example. The menu is varied.
An alternative is: Mercado San Miguel This market is one of the oldest markets in the city and it has served from inspiration to create another similar place in cities like New York. We can order some tapas and wine to enjoy sitting down and relaxing. The mercado is just under 10 minutes’ walk from the Royal Palace and also super close to the next stops in our Madrid Itinerary.
It's a good time now to go back to the Airbnb/Hotel and rest for the night...
BUT Lynne will probably stay out and watch the sunset at Templo de Debod which, by day, is quite skippable. The park, however, is quite lively as sunset approaches. Musicians stroll and charm, couples hold hands, wine and snacks are appropriate and may even be for sale. The view is quite memorable.