Royal Palace Afternoon Skip The Line & Madrid Historical Tour

You will visit the interior of the Royal Palace of Madrid, with skip-the-line entry, with a professional local guide.

You will have access to all the rooms of the Royal Palace and you will learn about the history of one of the most important heritage elements of the capital of Spain.

We will pass through the outside area of the Almudena Cathedral where we will relate its history to that of the Royal Palace.

We will talk about the history of Felipe IV and the sculptures that surround the square.

At the end of Calle Arenal is the Plaza de Isabel II which, with the name of Caños del Peral, was very important in the Habsburg period. In the 16th century there was a very large and attractive fountain here, called Caños del Peral. It had seven basins and seven spouts, where the locals came to wash clothes and the water carriers came to fill their pitchers. The name is probably due to the existence of a pear tree that gave shade to the spouts.

This building, built in the 17th century under the reign of Philip IV, which is very similar to the Casa de la Villa, was initially used to house the city's prison, as well as the chamber of the Mayors of the House and Court of Hapsburg Madrid. It is currently the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the same square we find the Orfeo Fountain, a late 20th century replica of another 17th century fountain designed by Juan Gómez de Mora.

Plaza Mayor, the great Madrid work of the Habsburgs. This space played a leading role in our Golden Age as a centre of commerce and a popular meeting place. In the early Habsburg times, this square was smaller and had an irregular appearance. Moreover, it was called differently: Plaza del Arrabal. Its name was due precisely to the fact that it was born in what was once one of the suburbs of the Villa, that is, in a peripheral neighbourhood. As the city grew around this neighbourhood, the square gained in importance. At the end of the 16th century it was decided to enlarge it and give it a square shape, although it was not completed until 1617.