Palace of the Councils, Madrid
Encyclopedia
The Palace of the Councils or Palace of the Duke of Uceda (in Spanish, Palacio de los Consejos or Palacio del duque de Uceda is a building from the 17th century located in central Madrid
, Spain. It is located on the Mayor street, corner of calle Bailén Street.
The palace is representative of Spanish baroque
architecture, and was commissioned by Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval-Rojas
, first Duke of Uceda
, and powerful minister or valido of King Philip III of Spain
. It was designed by Francisco de Mora
, although works was directed by Juan Gómez de Mora
and executed by Captain Alonso Turrillo from 1608 to 1613. The palace stands before the Church of Santa María de la Almudena.
When it was built, decorated with the heraldic arms of the Sandoval family flanked by lions, it was judged too ostentatious for a nobleman. After the Duke's fall from grace, it became property of the Royal family, and housed the mother of Charles II of Spain
, the queen mother, Mariana of Austria
. She died there on the night of May 16, 1696.
Upon his arrival to Madrid in 1701, the Bourbon king Philip V of Spain
transfers many of the royal offices or councils from the then extant Real Alcázar de Madrid to the Palacio de Uceda, and since then, it has been known as the Palacio de los Consejos. The main council, however, remained in the palace. In the 19th century, the council of state and the Capitanía General were moved here.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain. It is located on the Mayor street, corner of calle Bailén Street.
The palace is representative of Spanish baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
architecture, and was commissioned by Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval-Rojas
Cristóbal de Sandoval, Duke of Uceda
Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval-Rojas y de la Cerda, known as the duque de Uceda , but also titled second marquis of Cea, fifth marquis of Denia, and knight of the order of Santiago was the official minister of state, also known as the valido or valued one, for King Philip III of Spain...
, first Duke of Uceda
Duke of Uceda
Duke of Uceda, was a Spanish noble title, created on May 16 1610, by King Philip III of Spain, in favour of Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval Rojas y de la Cerda....
, and powerful minister or valido of King Philip III of Spain
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
. It was designed by Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora
Francisco de Mora was a Spanish Renaissance architect. He was uncle to the architect Juan Gómez de Mora and to the humanist Baltasar Porreño...
, although works was directed by Juan Gómez de Mora
Juan Gómez de Mora
Juan Gómez de Mora was a Spanish architect. His father, also Juan Gómez, was court painter to Philip II of Spain and brother to the architect Francisco de Mora....
and executed by Captain Alonso Turrillo from 1608 to 1613. The palace stands before the Church of Santa María de la Almudena.
When it was built, decorated with the heraldic arms of the Sandoval family flanked by lions, it was judged too ostentatious for a nobleman. After the Duke's fall from grace, it became property of the Royal family, and housed the mother of Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
, the queen mother, Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria
Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle...
. She died there on the night of May 16, 1696.
Upon his arrival to Madrid in 1701, the Bourbon king Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
transfers many of the royal offices or councils from the then extant Real Alcázar de Madrid to the Palacio de Uceda, and since then, it has been known as the Palacio de los Consejos. The main council, however, remained in the palace. In the 19th century, the council of state and the Capitanía General were moved here.