The Italian Room, one of the Palacio de Liria’s themed living rooms that’s filled with paintings by Perugino, Titian, Guercino and other artists. — Photos: EMILIO PARRA DOIZTUA/NYT
One of the most important cultural events in Madrid, Spain in recent years was the public opening, just before the pandemic, of a collection that had been sitting behind the closed doors of a private palace for about 200 years.
The Palacio de Liria, the grand 18th-century home of the Alba family – among Spain’s (and Europe’s) oldest and most storied aristocratic families – is set in a tranquil garden just steps from the bustling Plaza de Espana in central Madrid. Often compared to the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace of Madrid for the masterpieces it contains and the noble residents who lived there, the house is filled with works by Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Goya and other artists favoured by the Spanish court. There are also vast literary and historic archives, as well as letters written from the Americas by explorers Christopher Columbus, Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés.
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Beautiful Spanish palaces
The Italian Room, one of the Palacio de Liria’s themed living rooms that’s filled with paintings by Perugino, Titian, Guercino and other artists. — Photos: EMILIO PARRA DOIZTUA/NYT
In Madrid, the Italian Room, one of the Palacio de LiriaÕs themed living rooms, is filled with paintings by Perugino, Titian, Guercino and other artists. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
The rear facade of the Palacio de Liria in Madrid, the grandest Alba home and continues to be the 19th (and current) duke’s principal residence.
The Palacio de Liria is the grandest Alba home and continues to be the 19th (and current) dukeÕs principal residence. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
A bathroom, clad in 18th-century blue-and-white tiles, in the Palacio de Monterrey in Salamanca.
A bathroom in the Palacio de Monterrey is clad in 18th-century blue-and-white tiles. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
The main staircase of the Palacio de Liria.
The main staircase of the Palacio de Liria in Madrid. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
In the town of Alba de Tormes, Spain, for which the Alba family was named, a centuries-old tower offers views of the surrounding landscape.
In the town of Alba de Tormes, Spain, for which the Alba family was named, a centuriesold tower offers views of the surrounding landscape. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
The interior of the centuries-old tower in the town of Alba de Tormes.
Visitors can explore the tower in Alba de Tormes, which contains Renaissance frescoes. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
A fountain at the Palacio de las Duenas in Seville. The palace has 11 patios and gardens and nine fountains, including two tiled ones.
The Palacio de las Due–as has 11 patios and gardens and nine fountains, including two tiled ones. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
An entrance gate to the Palacio de las Duenas. The palace, which opened to the public in 2015, is one of the most visited sites in Seville.
Palacio de las Due–as, which opened to the public in 2015, is one of the most visited sites in Seville. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
The Palacio de las Duenas was built between the 15th and 16th centuries in the Renaissance style.
Built between the 15th and 16th centuries in the Renaissance style, the Palacio de las Due–as in Seville, Spain, features Gothic and, especially, Moorish influences. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
A staircase in the Palacio de Monterrey.
In the Palacio de Monterrey in Salamanca, museumquality works, including Flemish tapestries, are numerous. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
The Goya Room in the Palacio de Liria has several works by the artist, including his portrait of the 13th Duchess of Alba, his friend and muse.
The Goya Room has several works by the artist, including his portrait of the 13th Duchess of Alba, his friend and muse. (Emilio Parra Doiztua/The New York Times)
