Royal Armoury of Madrid
The Royal Armoury of Madrid or Real Armería de Madrid, is a collection that, among many other things, contains the personal arms of the Kings of Spain, and also houses military weapons, armours and diplomatic works of art like mixed tapestries, paintings and other works of art and trophies. Among the most notable parts of the collection are armor and full tools that Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Philip II used. It is considered, along with the Imperial Armory of Vienna, one of the best in the world.[1]
The decision to grant preferential treatment to the Armory dates back at least to the death of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, which occurred on 21 September 1558.
Location
The armory of the Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, had come, mostly, from
Former building
This building that is currently known as "Antigua Real Armería de Felipe II" was chosen, apparently, in 1553, to provide the
This former armoury was located in the complex of the Royal Stables of the
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The new site was structured around a rectangular hall of 63 meters long by 10 meters wide, and consisted of a ground floor and main floor. Crowning the building was a ledge of stone on which stood the roof truss and slate roof, with stepped gables at both front ends. Downstairs were three naves, while the upper floor, housing the Armory, was completely open. The interior of the hall was completed in 1565. It was whitewashed and a large portion decorated with azulejos from Talavera de la Reina pottery by Juan Florez.
The most characteristic element of its structure was the called "Arc of the Armoury" that connected the Alcázar with the outside. The arc was built during the reign of Charles II of Habsburg.[3]
Current location
In 1884 a fire partially destroyed the structure built by
The current Royal Armoury of Madrid is located on the ground floor of the Royal Palace of Madrid, and is considered, along with the Imperial Armoury of Vienna, one of the best in the world. It consists of pieces from as early as the 15th century. The collection highlights the tournament pieces made for Charles V and Philip II by the leading armourers of Milan and Augsburg. Among the most remarkable works are the full armour and weapons that Emperor Charles V used in the Battle of Mühlberg, and which was portrayed by Titian in his famous equestrian portrait housed at the Museo del Prado. The armoury retains some of the most important pieces of this art in Europe and the world, including several signed by Filippo Negroli, one of the most famous designers in the armourers' guild.
Collections
The weapons were guarded in the former building in large "drawers" of wood, i.e. large closets like cloakrooms. The distribution of the weapons in the room was thought through thoroughly. Higher grade weapons were stored inside the drawers. Firearms, archery, and to a lesser extent, some knives and small, were placed over the windows. The remaining pole weapons occupied the front ends of the room and the drawers. The western headwall highlighted two small pieces of artillery and four sledges with fittings of its shots.
The criteria of distribution and management inside the drawers were more complex. The first criterion of distribution catered to the owners of the weapons. Those belonging to
The core of the current collection corresponds to the armory guarded by Philip II when he established the Court in Madrid, consisting of his personal armory, but especially that of his father, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who in turn had retained weapons belonging to his father,
The
The reign of the
The collection retains weapons related with some of the facts and prominent figures of the reign of the
The Armouries of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Philip II
The armouries of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Philip II constitute the core of the collection, especially in regard to the imperial armory. Meanwhile, the weapons of Philip II can not be dissociated from those of his father, given the close relationship between the two, and by their German or Italian origin within the same chronological period. In fact, most of the armors of Philip II were forged when Charles V lived, coinciding at times in its development with those of the Emperor. The whole of the armors of Charles V and Philip II was forged between 1519 and 1560, during the Renaissance, during the time of splendor of the art of the armour.
Essentially, is not a set of war weapons, but a collection of luxury weapons as a representation of power, intended to be used in the various events of the Court: fairs, tournaments, military parades, jousting, etc. Most of the armours of Charles V and Philip II were forged following the concept of fitting armor invented by
In this type of weapons is especially valued the constructive and technical wit, the formal design and the decoration, the latter rich in connotations of all being, from chivalry to the reflection of the ideas and themes of humanism through allegorical, religious, heraldic and / or dynastic, or recreating the classical tradition of the Roman times.[5] The physical implementation of the decoration is done by techniques to show or enhance the beauty and richness of the pieces sculpted thanks to etched surfaces, light embossed, golden or silver surfaces, bluing, gold and silver damascened, etc. Therefore, throughout Europe the luxury weapons could only be forged and decorated in a limited number of highly specialized workshops. The most important were located, for historical and geographical reasons, in Germany and northern Italy. In the case of Charles V stand out the workshops of Kolman and Desiderius Helmschmid from Augsburg, and of Filippo Negroli and brothers from Milan. In the case of Philip II, Franz and Wolfgang Grosschedel from Landshut, Desiderius Helmschmid and Antoni Peffenhauser from Augsburg. These armourers are given special preference, but both Charles V and Philip II possessed weapons coming from other high-level workshops, such as Mattheus Frawenbrys, Caremolo Mondrone, or Bartolomeo Campi, either because these are specific orders, or by being parts submitted by various personages related to the Spanish Court.[6]
Notes
- ^ "Royal Palace, Royal Armoury of Madrid".
- ^ On the circumstances surrounding the transfer of the collection to Madrid and its installation in the new armory see: Soler Del Campo, A. (1999). "La armería de Felipe II". Reales Sitios. pages 135, 24-37.
- ^ "Durante el reinado de Carlos II, algunos cambios en el paisaje urbano matritense", Paisajes urbanos matritenses
- ^ In 1898 was published the last general catalog of the collection by the Count Viudo of Valencia de Don Juan. This catalog applies as a reference guide for the study of it. Its inquiry no problems using the index of the work. Valencia De Don Juan, Conde Viudo. De. (1898): "Catálogo Histórico-Descriptivo de la Real Armería de Madrid". Madrid.
- ^ On the symbolic aspects of the weapons and especially its consideration as high level artworks see: Pyhrr, S. W. and Godoy, J. A. (1998). "Heroic Armor of the Italian Renaissance. Filippo Negroli and his Contemporaries" (With essays and a compilation of documents by Silvio Leydi). New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 8 Oct. 1988 - 17 Jan. 1999. For weapons in the context of the chivalric games: Rangström, L. [Pub.]. (1992): "Riddarlek och Tornerspel. Sverige - Europa - Tournaments and the Dream of Chivalry". Stockholm. Livrustkammaren of Stockholm 12.6.1992-6.12.1992.
- ^ As an introduction to the work of the leading armourers who put their art at the service of Charles V and / or Philip II, and the context in which it develops: Boccia, L. G. and Coelho, E. T. (1967): "L' Arte dell'armatura in Italia". Milan. Cortes Echanove, J. (1963): "Armas y armeros en la época de Felipe II". El Escorial (1563-1963). Lavin, J. D. (1965): "A History of Spanish Firearms". New York. Reitzenstein. "Die Landshutter Plattner Wolfgang und Franz Grosschedel". "Münchner Jahrbuch der Bildenden Kunst", pages 142-153. Reitzenstein, A., (1971): "Antoni Peffenhauser Waffen und Kostümkunde", pages 111-127. Thomas B. (1944): "Deutsche Plattnerkunst". Munich. Thomas, B. (1980): "Augsburger Harnische und stangenwaffen (Plattner, Atzmaler, Goldschmiede)".
Bibliography
- Marchesi, José María (1849). Catálogo de la Real Armería, mandado formar por S.M.... Madrid: Aguado. https://books.google.com/books?id=_G6ynFwGCMoC
- Museo Nacional del Prado(2012). «La Real Armería de Madrid».
External links
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