Day 3 – Sightseeing in Madrid, Spain
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 square meters (1,450,000 sq ft) of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest functioning royal palace and the largest by floor area in Europe.
King Felipe VI and the royal family do not reside in the palace, choosing instead the significantly more modest Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid.
Google Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Royal+Palace+of+Madrid/@40.417955,-3.714312,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2e7fec79d6ce4851!8m2!3d40.417955!4d-3.714312
The Sabatini Gardens (in Spanish: Jardines de Sabatini) are part of the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain, and were opened to the public by King Juan Carlos I in 1978. They honor the name of Francesco Sabatini (1722–1797), an Italian architect of the 18th century who designed, among other works at the palace, the royal stables of the palace, previously located at this site.
In 1933, clearing of the stable buildings was begun, and construction of the gardens begun, which were only completed in the late 1970s. The gardens have a formal Neoclassic style, consisting of well-sheared hedges, in symmetric geometrical patterns, adorned with a pool, statues and fountains, with trees also disposed in a symmetrical geometric shape. The statues are those of Spanish kings, not intended originally to even grace a garden, but originally crowding the adjacent palace. The tranquil array is a peaceful corner from which to view the palace.
Google Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sabatini+Gardens/@40.4203361,-3.7161926,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd42287a7731addf:0xdae626504cda711!8m2!3d40.420332!4d-3.7140039
The Prado Museum, officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to have one of the world’s finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and the single best collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world, and it is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. The numerous works by Francisco Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, are some of the highlights of the collection.
The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to many other works of art and historic documents. As of 2012, the museum displayed about 1,300 works in the main buildings, while around 3,100 works were on temporary loan to various museums and official institutions. The remainder were in storage. The museum received 2.8 million visitors in 2012. It is one of the largest museums in Spain.
The best-known work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velázquez. Velázquez and his keen eye and sensibility were also responsible for bringing much of the museum’s fine collection of Italian masters to Spain, now the largest outside Italy.
Google Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Museo+Nacional+del+Prado/@40.4137859,-3.6943158,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd42289d66d8a2ed:0x1094f07d93ad885a!8m2!3d40.4137818!4d-3.6921271
The Puerta del Sol (Spanish for “Gate of the Sun”) is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the centre (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year. The New Year’s celebration has been broadcast live on national television since 31 December 1962.
Google Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Puerta+del+Sol,+Madrid,+Spain/@40.416906,-3.7056721,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd422880a07d7dc7:0x694aee57da1dc679!8m2!3d40.4169473!4d-3.7035285
Sound Credit:
Breakfast/Walk to Royal Palace/Royal Palace
El Gavilan by Quincas Moreira
Sabatini Garden/Prado Museum
Puerto Rico Me Llama by Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Production
Puerto Del Sol
Carnivale Intrigue by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1500028
Artist: http://incompetech.com/