MADRID, SPAIN. – The afternoon sun was scorching the streets and monuments. The line stretched out like a golden serpent, and the thermometers read 35 degrees. In reality, it felt higher. Despite this, we decided to go on July 25th. It wasn’t a Monday or a Friday, but Madrid was celebrating Santiago Apostle Day, the patron saint of Spain. Here, on holidays, museum admission is free, and such an opportunity should never be missed. After half an hour of waiting, the queue started moving, and we entered the Royal Palace.
Upon crossing the threshold, splendor unfolded in every corner. We couldn’t see the armory, the pharmacy, or the kitchen. Free entries come with their traps for those who try to be too clever, but we won’t complain.
I’m convinced that even with what we saw, our eyes couldn’t take it all in. My head, as if it didn’t want to obey the body’s logic and the route’s rhythm, kept pointing upward with a preference. The frescoes are impressive.
The interior offers a majestic welcome with the Grand Staircase. The figure that draws attention as you start to ascend is Apollo, the Greek god of the sun and arts, surrounded by allegorical and mythological figures. Then, each room reveals facets of royal luxury.
The decorations and sculptures, as witnesses to a glorious past, speak to us in a visual language as old as time itself. Angels and cherubs complete the celestial ambiance.
For a visitor with the last name León, like myself, the associated symbolism becomes both a fortunate coincidence and a personal delight. Lions are everywhere. You see them beautifully sculpted in stone on the staircase. You find them in frescoes and ceiling decorations. They impress you by flanking the throne with two gilded bronze specimens. Obviously, they have a prominent presence in the iconography because they symbolize strength, nobility, power, and vigilance. Monarchs have wanted to attribute these qualities to their reign.
Combining angels and lions creates a balance between the divine and the earthly, highlighting the majesty and power of the royal environment. The Royal Palace of Madrid is known for its diversity of decorative styles and the richness of its interiors, reflecting the different eras and tastes of those who inhabited it. The shifts from frescoes to decorations with ceramic figures, as well as the various themes and colors of the rooms, are examples of this variety.
The Gasparini Room strikes us as exotic, with exuberant rococo, and dark tones combined with Chinese motifs and fruits. Embroidered silk covers the walls. Just a few steps away are the Porcelain Room and the Yellow Room.
The Crown Room holds its royal treasures: the crown and the scepter. The inevitable question arises: Does the current king use these jewels at official events? No. Although the royal family uses some ceremonial insignias, the pieces on display are not used today. They remain as a testament to the rich monarchical heritage. Nor does the family live there, although it is the official residence. The Royal Palace is reserved for important state ceremonies.
Upon leaving the exterior galleries, we could peek into other areas, from the window to the Smoking Room, where they took a break; or the Game Room, where billiards, surprisingly, have been present since the 19th century.
In that area, in the corridor, stand the statues of Isabel the Catholic and her husband Ferdinand, majestically erect. They were the ones who supported Christopher Columbus in the discovery of America.
The Gala Dining Room is one of the most impressive rooms. It can accommodate over 140 people at grand banquets during official events. In an adjacent room, there is a long tile cabinet. It’s called a bottle rack or “tile refrigerator.”
The silverware and tableware are also works of art. The collection is extensive and varied, ranging from silverware used at official events to tableware decorated with intricate designs. The tableware of Fernando VII captured attention with its hand-painted landscapes. While eating with sophistication and killing boredom by playing billiards, he strategized on how to administer and control his colonies during a period of great political turmoil.
If it doesn’t ring a bell, remember that this king granted the title of city to Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe. He made that decision at the end of his first reign. We can’t deny that Fernando VII's detail implied official recognition of the importance and development of Puerto Príncipe, now Camagüey. Today, it is an important cultural and historical center on the island, with a segment proclaimed a World Heritage Site.
In the room where musical instruments are exhibited, among them a piano, there is a corner with a cabinet containing a clock that holds other clocks inside. In that repeater or “multi-zone clock,” the corresponding one for the Island of Cuba appears. The clock for Havana, along with other elements of the palace, weaves a narrative about the connection between Spain and its colonies, emphasizing the monarchy’s global reach.
At the exit, there is a bookstore and a souvenir shop. It is said that the money raised goes to the conservation, maintenance, and promotion of the palace’s historical heritage. Indeed, we observed construction tools and areas covered with nylon in different rooms of the Royal Palace.
Once outside, we retraced our steps, alongside the Sabatini Garden, the park behind the palace. The heat of the day became more bearable. Trying to balance out that overwhelming majesty, we wanted to lose ourselves in a narrow street, but it was also very busy. We were thirsty, and as if provoking us to rest, the tavern Los López appeared before our eyes.
That name evoked the memory of my paternal grandmother, María Cristina López Camacho. In the palace, her name was also there, like a queen, Queen Maria Christina of Bourbon, widow of Ferdinand VII, regent of her daughter Isabel II until she came of age.
The coincidence on a day full of history and reflection made the moment even more significant. A cold beer (that’s what they call it) in a historical setting became the perfect end to a memorable visit.
As I savored the beer, like the most mundane of mortals, I thought as a simple human about this historical mania of attributing to kings the supernatural condition of the great chosen ones. I wondered how they could live among so many precious but ostentatious objects, decorative yes, but little or not at all utilitarian.
Life amidst the ostentation and luxury of royal palaces touches a profound aspect of history and the psychology of power. This topic raises the different ways power and wealth are expressed. For many, monarchy represents a link with history and culture, while for others, it may seem like a relic in a world seeking to redefine equality and social justice.
In this sense, something that I try to understand strikes me: the coexistence of monarchy in a Spain that claims to be democratic. As a Cuban, I bring a historical learning of the struggle from a former colony determined to stop being ruled by overseas kings and to become an independent and sovereign nation.
They are governed by presidents and kings. Also, from what I observe, read, and hear, I already feel how the mentality of the citizens concerning the sense of family smells like a mark of stale lineage because people expect to inherit rather than build their own future with their own hands.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez
