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When the Spanish victors of the World Cup landed back in Madrid on Monday, the soccer team headed straight to a royal celebration hosted by King Felipe VI at Zarzuela Palace. Located on the northwestern outskirts of Madrid, the baroque castle is where the royal family lives for most of the year, but it is just one of many regal residences owned by the Casa de Borbón.
From sprawling grand hunting grounds to summer seaside castles, here is a look through a dozen of Spain’s resplendent royal estates.
The Royal Palace of Madrid
The Palacio Real de Madrid sits in the center of Spain’s capital city as the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but it’s not where they actually live (that would be the Zarzuela Palace). With 3,418 rooms and over 135,000 square feet of floor space, the grand late Baroque-style structure is the largest royal palace in Western Europe. This majestic castle is where official state ceremonies and receptions are held, surrounded by rococo and neoclassical interiors.
The Zarzuela Palace
The Palacio de la Zarzuela is the primary workspace and residence of the Spanish royal family, located in Madrid’s Monte de El Pardo region. Commissioned in 1627 by King Philip IV as a hunting lodge, the home is made of simple red brick and local Guadarrama stone.
For most of the year, King Felipe VI and his family—Queen Letizia and their two daughters—live in the Pabellón del Principe, a secluded pavilion on the hunting grounds. The smaller living quarters was constructed for €4.23 million in 2002. It features its own private gardens and swimming pool.
The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso
Known as La Granja, this early 18th century palace in the charming town of San Ildefonso was designed by Philip V—the first Bourbon to reign in Spain. Taking after his grandfather Louis XIV of France, Philip built the gardens and sculptures to resemble those of Versailles. Its surrounding forests have been the favored hunting grounds of Castilian kings since the Middle Ages. Today, the Baroque palace acts as the royal family’s primary summer residence, situated just north of Madrid at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains.
Royal Palace of El Pardo
One of the oldest estates of the Casa de Borbón is the Royal Palace of El Pardo, which has served the official guest house for foreign heads of state since 1983. Originally built in 1405 as a hunting lodge for King Henry III of Castile, the palace is surrounded by the El Pardo forest just 9 miles northwest of Madrid.
The Casita del Príncipe
The Casita del Príncipe (or Cottage of the Prince), is a neoclassical pavilion within the El Pardo estate situated a 10 minute walk away from the Palace. It was designed in 1771 by architect Juan de Villanueva as a recreational retreat for Prince Charles of Asturias, who wanted a private space away from the court.
The Royal Palace of Aranjuez
A 16th century country residence surrounded by 275 acres of French-style gardens, the Royal Palace of Aranjuez is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that sits at the intersection of the Tagus and Jarama rivers in central Spain. The exterior was crafted from white and stone red brick in typical late-Baroque style.
The Royal Alcázar of Seville
This royal fortress is an architectural mélange of Moorish and Christian Mudéjar styles that took over 500 years to build. The original citadel began construction in 913 AD and has been embellished over the centuries to incorporate the ranging design influences of five different monarchs. The site today includes King Pedro I’s Mudejar Palace, King Alfonso X’s Gothic halls and Emperor Charles V’s Renaissance decorations. It now acts as the official residence of the royal family when in Seville—and was also the filming location for the Water Gardens of Dorne in Game of Thrones.
Albéniz Palace
The Albéniz palace on Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona is the official home of the Royal Family when they visit Catalonia. The neoclassical building, made by architect Joan Moya for the 1929 International Exhibition, features a ceiling mural painted by Salvador Dalí and elegant French-style formal gardens designed by Joan Maragall.
The Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
This monumental palace, monastery, pantheon, and library on the Northwestern outskirts of Madrid is a bastion of Spanish Golden Age architecture. Built by King Phillip II to celebrate the empire’s victory over the French in 1557, the formidable Renaissance complex now serves as the resting place for most Spanish monarchs.
The Royal Palace of La Almudaina
When the King and Queen of Spain visit the idyllic Balearic Islands, the Royal Palace of La Almudaina is their official residence. Located just across from the Santa Mariá Cathedral in the historic heart of Palma, the 14th century Medieval fortress is open to the public, who can wander through its Moorish-Gothic baths and courtyards.
The Marivent Palace Palma de Mallorca
The Marivent Palace Palma de Mallorca is King Felipe VI and his family’s traditional summer getaway. Built in the 1920s, the modern seaside estate is not open to the public, but its luscious Mediterranean gardens are. They sprawl over 2000 acres and feature sculptures by Joan Miró.
The Palace of Riofrío
This Romanesque palace in the central region of Segovia was commissioned by Philip V’s Italian widow Elisabeth Farnese between 1752 and 1759. Designed by Virgilio Ravaglio to mirror the classical architecture of Parma, Elisabeth’s birthplace, the palace now acts as a museum dedicated to the history of hunting.
