The official residence of the King of Spain is known as Palacio Real de Madrid or the Royal Palace of Madrid. Though known all over the world as the official residence of the King of Spain, King Juan Carlos do not actually stay at the palace. The royal family resides in Palacio de la Zarzuela in the outskirts of Madrid. Palacio Real however is used for state occasions. The palace belongs to the state of Spain and it is administered by Patrimonio Nacional agency. The palace is located in the western part of the capital of Spain, Madrid.
The history of Palacio Real dates back to the 10th-century when there existed a fortress built by the Muslim kings of Toledos. In 1085 Madrid fell to Alfonso VI of Castile. Still later in the year 1329 King Ferdinand V of Castile convened the court of Madrid for the first time. It was in the 16th-century that the Old Castle was built on the same location. After the palace was burnt in the year 1734 King Philip V dictated a new palace to be built on the same location. The palace was constructed in seventeen years starting from 1738. Thus the palace was completed in the year 1755.
At present, Palacio Real is the largest palace in Western Europe that occupies a total area of 1,35,000 square meters. The palace is decorated in a royal manner with works of renowned artists like Velázquez, Tiepolo, Mengs, Gasparini, Juan de Flandes, Caravaggio, and Goya. Royal collections of historical importance are exhibited in the palace like the Royal Armoury and its weapons that dates back to the 13th-century, world's only Stradivarius, together with collections of tapestry, porcelain, furniture, and many other historically significant items of the royal family. The palace is surrounded on the West by a garden called Campo del Moro and on the East, there exists an opera house, on the South there exists Catedral de la Almudena, and on the North there is the Jardines de Sabatini or Sabitini Gardens. Thus the place together with its subsidiaries is a wonderful tourist attraction of Spain.
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