| Madrid:
The Royal Palace | The
Royal Palace is on the site where once stood the Alcazar of Madrid, the "famous
castle" built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of Mohammed
I, Emir of Cordoba, as a key position for the defense of these territories situated
to the north of Toledo. The fortress, rebuilt in the 14th century, acquired the
character of a royal residence with the work undertaken by John II, particularly
the chapel, consecrated in 1434, and the great "rich hall". It was in
the 16th century that Charles V and Philip II rebuilt it as a Royal Palace, so
that in 1561 the Alcazar became the permanent residence of the Kings, and the
"villa" or town of Madrid which arose under the protection of its castle
became the Court of the Spanish Monarchy. A guided tour of the palace is possible
and is well worth the money. See our review of the tour.
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| Villaviciosa
(Madrid) |
This
castle looks out over the valley of the Guadarrama, very close to
Madrid and it was built around the original fortress by the architect
Juan de Herrera in the 16th century.It is rectangular , has four towers
at the corners, which are very strong, one of which being square,
while the others are cube-shaped. The outside walls are made of masonry
while the inside one is made of granite. The whole complex is structurally
very clear and easy to follow which is a characteristic of the famous
architect who designed it.The castle which reached its maximum splendour
during the 18th century as a royal residence is famous because it
was there where Don Manuel Godoy the so-called Prince of Peace sought
refuge. This outstanding figure was immortalized by Goya in several
paintings.
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| Batres
(Madrid) | Built
between XV and XVI centuries, it is almost completely conserved. There, was banished
the knight Fernán Pérez de Guzmán, where he wrote "Mar
de Istorias" and his famous "Generaciones y Semblanzas". Afterwards,
the poet Garcilaso de la Vega, brother of the Lord (Pedro Lasso de Guzmán)
lived there.
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