• Español
  • English

Palace of the Infante Don Luis

Audioguía

Click PLAY for more information.

Neoclassical 18th century palace designed by Ventura Rodríguez.

The present-day palace is the product of an earlier one, called the Palace of the Two Towers, which was built in several stages by the lords of the manor from the 17th century onward. That palace was acquired from them by Luis of Spain in 1761. An infante, or prince, from the ruling House of Bourbon, Prince Luis commissioned the architect Ventura Rodríguez to renovate the palace.

 

The restored building has evolved from what was once a modest hunting lodge into a palace at the center of a stately complex where Prince Luis, who was King Charles III’s younger brother, established his illustrious court between 1765 and 1776.

One of the towers houses the chapel’s spectacular cupola. Also worth noting are the music hall and the mausoleum where the prince’s descendants rest.

During the Spanish Civil War, the palace served as a military headquarters and hospital, and later it was converted into a girls’ boarding school. In 1974, the palace, its gardens, and the fountain by Ventura Rodriguez were declared a historical monument of artistic importance. In 1998, the site was acquired by the City of Boadilla del Monte and the heirs of Prince Luis. Currently, it is undergoing restoration.

In the first phase of restoration, in March and October of 2015, renovations were made to the first terrace garden, the side gates, and the perimeter wall, as well as to the palace façades, chapel, entrance hall, and music hall. The work was overseen by architect José Ramón Duralde and landscape designer Lucía Serredi, with financial support from the City of Boadilla, the Community of Madrid, the European Union, and Santander Bank.

The second phase of the project was recently completed. This involved restoring the third terrace garden in the orchards as well as their walls and entrance gates. This phase has been sponsored by the City of Boadilla, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Annie Johansen Foundation. The garden reopened in the spring of 2019.  

Vista del palacio
Vista del palacio
Vista del palacio
Vista del palacio
Capilla
Capilla: altar
Cúpula: ángeles
Cúpula
Capilla: Gloria
Cúpula: ventana
Detalle
Sepulcro de la Condesa
Detalle
Desde la tribuna
Sacristía
Tribuna
Habitación azul
Habitación azul: ventanas
Habitación azul: vista
Habitación de la Condesa
Habitación de la Condesa: columna
Habitación de la Condesa: ventana
Habitación verde
Cocina
Escalera principal
Pasillo lateral
Pasillo lateral
Sala de Armas
Sala de Armas
Sala de música
Sala rehabilitada
Sala rehabilitada
Vista Fuente de Ventura Rodríguez
Portón de acceso
Portón
Portón
Plaza: barbacana
Vista Fuente de Ventura Rodríguez
Gallinero