Santa Cruz Palace (Madrid)
Santa Cruz Palace is a splendid 17th-century building with an architectural style typical of the late Renaissance. It currently serves as the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation of Spain.
Madrid’s first prison was located in the area that the palace now occupies. It dated to the 16th century and was demolished in 1621 to build, between 1629 and 1640, a lavish building that served as the rooms of the Hall of Mayors of Madrid, House and Court, as well as a new prison.
With the arrival of Philip V's reign, the building was renovated as a new palace, so formidable that it was considered one of the most emblematic and spectacular of the Austrian reign.
The building has a rectangular floor plan with turrets in the corners and a structure composed of two symmetrical patios that allow for illumination and ventilation.
Something characteristic of its construction is the combination of granite and exposed brick reserved for the portals, corners, sills, lintels and spires that crown its towers. This style prevailed in the royal architecture of the time and set the standard for later new constructions.
Its main façade is in the style of a severe stone altarpiece crowned by a pediment with fins. The palace's aesthetic style is very similar to that used in 17th-century court architecture, especially the Herrera training of Gómez de Mora.
Madrid’s first prison was located in the area that the palace now occupies. It dated to the 16th century and was demolished in 1621 to build, between 1629 and 1640, a lavish building that served as the rooms of the Hall of Mayors of Madrid, House and Court, as well as a new prison.
With the arrival of Philip V's reign, the building was renovated as a new palace, so formidable that it was considered one of the most emblematic and spectacular of the Austrian reign.
The building has a rectangular floor plan with turrets in the corners and a structure composed of two symmetrical patios that allow for illumination and ventilation.
Something characteristic of its construction is the combination of granite and exposed brick reserved for the portals, corners, sills, lintels and spires that crown its towers. This style prevailed in the royal architecture of the time and set the standard for later new constructions.
Its main façade is in the style of a severe stone altarpiece crowned by a pediment with fins. The palace's aesthetic style is very similar to that used in 17th-century court architecture, especially the Herrera training of Gómez de Mora.
Location
Civil Buildings in Madrid
Religious Buildings in Madrid
Museums in Madrid
