Inside Madrid’s royal palace: A living monument to Spain’s monarchy

Inside Madrid’s royal palace: A living monument to Spain’s monarchy

this for the first time in Madrid today. And we also know the team probably won't have any time, none at all, to really experience the culture there in Madrid. But less, thankfully, we have you as our tour guide. You immersed yourself in all things Spanish history and culture. >> A lot of fun. So, the Royal Palace in Madrid is what sort of the White House is to us here in the United States. It's the largest palace in Western Europe with more than 3,400 rooms. But tonight, you can get a tour of its lavish interiors for free. History comes to life at the Royal Palace of Madrid, one of the most [music] visited monuments in Spain. Over 5,000 people a day explore this 18th century masterpiece. Built after [music] a fire destroyed the previous palace on Christmas Eve 1734. The new royal palace was built between [music] 1738 and 1760 by three Italian architects Jubara Saketi and Salativi. The royal palace [music] holds an amazing art collection. >> Journalist and tour guide Juan Sarta led us into the throne [music] room. The most symbolic hall of the Spanish monarchy. It was built in [music] the 18th century by an Italian architect called Sageti and then it was decorated later in the 18th century by uh Theopo who did the frescos in the ceiling. [music] That is an exaltation of the Spanish monarch. >> The palace is still in use today for ceremonies such as Spain's National Day on October 12th, royal birthdays, and visits from foreign leaders. the throne for the king [music] and the queen. As you can see, his guild is guarded by these gilded bronze lions. And you [music] have those uh tapestries around, red velvet, those Venetian mirrors, everything of course reminds us that for sure is a long history. The royal dining room is where presidents and other important guests are seated during official state dinners, placing them at the heart of centuries of royal ceremony. The palace isn't just about the throne. Step into the anti-chamber of Charles III, designed for the king's inner circle. Here, access was [music] strictly controlled based on your role in the government or court. >> The royal palace was very well organized. There were several chambers and there was like at [music] the top was like the most private chamber and only let's say the closest people to the game. >> Among its treasures is the Atlas clock considered the most expensive clock in the world. >> Is [music] there a price tag on it? >> I'm not sure if there is money in the world to pay for that. It has this super sophisticated mechanism that in the 18th century was high high technology is all made with gold. The palace also houses a remarkable collection of Chinese porcelain, a testament to centuries of trade and luxury of the Habsburg [music] and Bourban courts. >> So each of these vases tells a story. >> Each of these vases might tell you a story. Yeah. From its throne rooms to private chambers, priceless clocks and art treasures, the Royal [music] Palace offers a rare glimpse into Spain's monarchy, making it a must-sea stop for any visitor to Madrid. >> Yeah, it's quite the place. >> I mean, it is very palacy >> and line [laughter] everything is like lined with gold. >> Everything is lined with gold. It is incredible. And we're of course grateful to Juan Sarta who took us through and the team at the the Royal Palace which sort of let us in an hour before everybody else gets in because it would be really hard to get the best views of the palace with so many people there. But this is the place if you want to see the living monuments to power to wealth and culture of Madrid. This is the place to do it. It's also a great time to do it now because it's kind of off peak. It's much more comfortable to move around the palace grounds. It's beautiful. So visiting during weekdays or in the mornings or the late evenings are usually pretty good. And you can get your tickets 90 days in advance, which I know is is not something that you would ever do. [laughter] >> That requires some intense planning. >> Tickets right now, right? But 5,000 people a day. >> 5,000 people a day. And they were lined up. When we came out of there an hour after being in there, the line was already long. Wow.

Each day, more than 5,000 visitors walk through the Royal Palace of Madrid’s lavish halls — a chance to step into centuries of royal tradition.