The Palace of the Dukes of Alba ( es, Palacio de los duques de Alba) is a ducal

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in Piedrahita, province of Ávila,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The palace was constructed by

Jaime Marquet Jaime Marquet (born Jacques Marquet, in París, 1710–1782) was a French architect who worked extensively in Bourbon Spain, and whose most important work includes the central plaza of Madrid known as Puerta del Sol and the adjacent monumental bu ...

between 1755 and 1766 as a summer residence for the

Dukes of Alba Duke of Alba de Tormes ( es, Duque de Alba de Tormes), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by ...

, and currently houses a school.

History

Where once was a medieval castle belonging to the Álvarez de Toledo family, the French architect

constructed a palace for

Fernando de Silva, 12th Duke of Alba Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, 12th Duke of Alba (27 October 1714 – 15 November 1776), was a Spanish politician and general who was Prime Minister of Spain in 1754.in full, es, Don Fernando de Silva Mendoza y Álvarez de Toledo, d ...

between 1755 and 1766. The duke used the palace as a summer residence. His granddaughter María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba invited to the palace famous visitors such as the painter

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...

The palace suffered damage during the

Napoleonic wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

and the

Spanish civil war The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

. The interior was burned down and looted, however, the exterior remained without alterations. The city council of Piedrahita bought the palace in 1931. It has been declared a monument in 1993. The palace houses now a school and the gardens are a public park.

Architecture

The palace is constructed in neoclassical style and is inspired by French examples such as the famous

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

. French contemporary architecture was well known to the 12th duke, who was ambassador of Spain in France during the 1750s. Adjacent to the palace was a garden in French style.

Bibliography

* Moreno Blanco, Raimundo (2011) ‘Jacques Marquet y la construccion del palacio de los Duques de Alba en Piedrahíta (Ávila)’. Academia (Madrid: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando) (112-113): 87-113. ISSN 0567-560X This article presents detailed research about the construction of the palace.

External links

{{Commonscat, Dukes of Alba Palace, Piedrahíta Palaces in Spain Palaces in Castile and León Buildings and structures in the Province of Ávila Buildings and structures in Castile and León House of Alba Buildings and structures completed in 1766