Royal Palace of Riofrío

Coordinates: 40°52′25″N 4°09′03″W / 40.87361°N 4.15083°W / 40.87361; -4.15083
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Royal Palace of Riofrío
Native name
Italian baroque
Governing bodyPatrimonio Nacional
Official namePalacio Real de Riofrío
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated1931
Reference no.RI-51-0001065

The Royal Palace of Riofrío (

San Ildefonso, in the province of Segovia, central Spain
.

The palace is Italian style with a square floor plan and three stories high, designed by the Italian architect Virgilio Rabaglio in the image and likeness of the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is surrounded by an extensive forest of 625 hectares, where fallow deer and deer, among others, live. Used by the monarchs exclusively for hunting, it has only been inhabited as a habitual residence, on a temporary basis, by King Alfonso XII and, previously, by his father, Francisco de Asís, The King Consort.

History

Queen Elisabeth Farnese was widowed in 1746, her husband King Philip V being succeeded by Ferdinand VI, her step-son. As such, to ensure that Elisabeth would remain away from the court, King Ferdinand VI agreed to construct a palace at Riofrío for her own disposal. During the reign of her step-son, the queen resided at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.

Shield of the Queen Elisabeth Farnese in the main facade.

Built in an enclave of the town of

Duchy of Parma, northern Italy. It was designed with a central square and was given three stories high, designed by architect Virgilio Rabaglio, himself Swiss from Gandria near Lugano. Rabaglio was responsible for the exterior decoration Sexmini Pedro, making it one of the most influential Italian palaces of all time.[citation needed] The palace is often likened to its counterpart, the Royal Palace of Madrid, official residence of the Spanish royal family.[citation needed
]

Dining room.

The dowager queen had wanted her son, then

Infante Luis, Count of Chinchón, however he did not use it.[citation needed
]

Having been abandoned, it was completed as a hunting lodge and was only used when royalty hunted in the nearby forests.

King Alfonso XII, who resided there while mourning his beloved wife Queen Maria de las Mercedes
. Points of interest within the palace include the patio addition, grand staircase, chapel along with its collection of paintings, tapestries and furniture. It is surrounded by a vast forest of 625 hectares, home to deer among other animals. Today Riofrío is the home of a museum dedicated to the history of hunting.

See also

References

External links

Media related to Royal Palace of Riofrío at Wikimedia Commons

Further reading

40°52′25″N 4°09′03″W / 40.87361°N 4.15083°W / 40.87361; -4.15083

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_Palace_of_Riofrío&oldid=1205295635"