Palacio Real

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Looking up the staircase in the Royal Palace

 

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The Royal Palace in Madrid

 

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Almudena Cathedral faces the Palace

 

I visited the  Palacio Real (The Royal Palace)  in downtown Madrid.   It was built from 1738 to 1755.  The Spanish royal family does not live here today instead living in another palace on the outskirts of town.  This palace is now used for special occasions.  There was a music room in the palace that contained 5 Stradivarius instruments in display cases (two violins, one viola, a small cello and a normal size cello) which is the only complete Stradivarius quintet in the world.  Another impressive room was the dining room with the table set for what looked like about 100 people.  It is hard to imagine daily life living in this 3418 room 1,450,000 square foot home. -Dave