The Royal Collections Gallery, originally named Royal Collections Museum () is an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. A ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

yet to be opened. Dependent on

Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional ( en, National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal Fami ...

, it is located in a new building in the gardens of the Campo del Moro park next to the

Almudena Cathedral Almudena Cathedral (''Santa María la Real de La Almudena'') is a Catholic church in Madrid, Spain. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. History When the capita ...

and the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

. It is intended to house, for public display, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, luxury objects, carriages and other works of art and historical pieces that the different

kings of Spain This is a list of Spanish monarchs, that is, rulers of the country of Spain. The forerunners of the monarchs of the Spanish throne were the following: *Kings of the Visigoths * Kings of Asturias * Kings of Navarre *Kings of León *Kings of Gal ...

were treasuring throughout history.

History

The origin of the museum dates back to the 1930s, when a first project began in 1935 and the Foundation Decree of the Museum of Arms and Carriages was issued in 1936 by the government of the Second Republic, when the president was

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the last President of the Repu ...

. The start of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

paralyzed the project, which was resumed, although not materialized, in 1950 and 1980. National Heritage () again raised the idea of building the museum in 1998, reviving the idea of creating a new carriage museum but also exhibiting the works of art, jewelry and tapestries of the dynasties that reigned in

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 ...

in recent centuries, the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

and the

Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanish ...

. In 2002, the project presented by the architects Emilio Tuñón and Luis Moreno Mansilla ( Mansilla + Tuñón) won the ideas contest for the building, and finally construction started in 2006. The works suffered delays due to the discovery of

archaeological remains An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

in the zone, and in addition the

central government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...

had to increase considerably the budget destined initially to the work. The main façade is finished in granite of the type. This project uses stones of great dimensions that had to be emptied in its interior to cover the structure of reinforced concrete. The placement of these large pieces was a very complex task for which a custom-made tool had to be created, which translated into a laying of the first stone as a decisive act. Also made in the same granite solid steps, rain gutter, large caps and bespoke tops. The construction of the building was completed in 2016, but because of the caretaker status of the government after the 2016 general election, it could not sign the contract of extra 25 million to finish the interior of the building and the opening was delayed to 2020. In October 2018, after a year of delays, a temporal union of companies formed by Empty and

Telefónica Telefónica, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world. It provides fixed and mobile telephony, broadba ...

won the public contest to decorate and manage the museum and its collections. In June 2022, the minister of the Presidency,

Félix Bolaños Félix Bolaños García (Madrid, 17 December 1975) is a Spanish lawyer and politician who serves as minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory of Spain since 2021. Previously, he served as Secretary-General of ...

, and the chairwoman of

, Ana de la Cueva, announced that the museum would be open in summer 2023 and renamed as ''Royal Collections Gallery''.

Awards

The building of the museum has received two main awards: * The Spanish Architecture Award 2017. * The FAD Awards for Architecture and Interior Design 2017.

References

{{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Madrid Cultural tourism in Spain Spanish royal collection

History

Awards

See also

References