Royal Palace of Riofrío

The Royal Palace of Riofrío is one of the residences of the Spanish royal family, managed by the National Heritage organization, which administers State assets at the service of the Crown. It is located in Riofrío, an enclave in the municipality of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, in Segovia, 11 kilometers from the town of San Ildefonso. It is located near the towns of Navas de Riofrío and La Losa.

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. Of interest are the Hunting Museum, in addition to the interior patio, the staircase of honor, the chapel and its collection of paintings, tapestries and furniture.

It is surrounded by an extensive forest of 625 hectares, where fallow deer and deer, among others, live. Used by monarchs exclusively for hunting, it has only been inhabited as a habitual residence, on a temporary basis, by Kings Francisco de Asís de Borbón and Alfonso XII.

History

Queen Isabel de Farnese, second wife of Philip V, fervently wanted her son Charles to become King of Spain, but, following the dynastic order, the throne first belonged to the king's two eldest sons, Luis. and Fernando, both sons of his first wife, whom the king was widowed. However, the queen did not resign herself to losing her political influence and her interference in state affairs was great.

Louis I ascended the throne in 1724 after the king's abdication, but he died seven months into his reign, in August of that year, so Philip V had to resume the Crown, which he would hold until his death in July 1746. This year Fernando VI assumed the crown, who, tired of the continuous interference of the queen mother Isabel de Farnese in the affairs of State, allowed her to build a palace to keep her away from the Court (which at this time remained almost permanently in La Granja de San Ildefonso). This is how, following the wishes of Ferdinand VI, Isabel de Farnesio ordered the palace to be built in 1751 in an old hunting reserve in the province of Segovia. The project was carried out by the architect Virgilio Rabaglio, and Pedro Sermini was in charge of the exterior decoration.

Before finishing the works, King Ferdinand VI died without issue, so Isabel de Farnese saw her wish fulfilled and her son Charles III, then king of Naples, was called to assume the throne of Spain. Therefore, the need to move to Ríofrío disappeared. The palace was not fully completed and the queen never resided there. Thus, from the initial project, which included gardens and fountains, trade houses, stables, a Franciscan convent and even a theater, only the palace and a large square remained, also unfinished.

The Palace was used by successive Spanish sovereigns when they went hunting in the forests of Riofrío. The palace was regularly inhabited by Francisco de Asís de Borbón, king consort and husband of Isabel II, who retired to Riofrío tired of the infidelities of his wife, and Alfonso XII, during the mourning for the death of his wife María de the Mercedes. It was during the time of Isabel II when some of her living rooms were decorated, highlighting the bedroom used by Alfonso XII and the dining room, as well as the original system of 'callers'. for servitude.

Rooms

The Royal Palace of Riofrío was opened for the first time to the public on July 14, 1965.

From that date until 2015 the following rooms could be visited: the Royal Chapel, the Staircase, the Entrance Hall, First Room with paintings of the "Life of Christ", Second Room with paintings of the "Life of Christ", the Snyders Chamber or Room, the Billiard Room, the Passage Room or "Tram, the Dining Room, the Callers' Tram, the Living Room, the Official Chamber, the Office of Alfonso XII, the Music Room, the Anteoratory and the Oratory, the Bedroom of Alfonso #3. 4;.

Likewise, the east wing houses the Hunting Museum, installed in the building in the 60s as an exponent of the history of hunting art.

Reorganization of funds

Between September 2015 and December 2016, National Heritage closed several rooms for restoration as it sought to recover the original function of four historic spaces in the building: the Billiard Room (ex-Snyders Room), the Service Room for the dining room (ex-Billiard Room), the Bedroom of King Francis of Assisi (ex-Music Room) and the Oratory (ex-Memories Room).

In the oratory, the series of 149 paintings on the life of Jesus Christ stands out, made by Giovanni del Cinque in 1729 and acquired by Philip V.

In addition, it sought to enhance the historical identity of the palace halls with the figures of Kings Francisco de Asís and Alfonso XII and update the contents of the Hunting Museum. The project entailed an enrichment of the visitable route, with the increase of approximately 500 works of art, coming from warehouses and, for the most part, from other Royal Sites.