Tourist Attraction in Barcelona:
Palauet Albéniz (Pabellón Real de Montjuïc)
The Albéniz Palace or the Montjuïc Royal Pavilion is a palace built in the first quarter of the 20th century, located on the Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona. It is usually the residence of the king of Spain. After the construction, it adapted to various functions, first as accommodation of the Spanish royal family during the Universal Exposition of Barcelona in 1929 and, later, as accommodation for illustrious people. The palace is surrounded by the large gardens of Joan Maragall. The building is a work included in the inventory of the architectural heritage of Catalonia. The small palace is a small building surrounded by the gardens of Joan Maragall, built by the International Exhibition of Barcelona in 1929 and intended to make residence for the kings, but also to represent the real Spanish architecture, following the aesthetics of the real architecture Bourbon in Madrid. Even so, it is possible to see directly from classical 18th century French architecture. Juan Moya, royal architect, was inspired directly by the Palauan architecture of the reign of Philip V, an austere Baroque with sober facades, using bricks and stone, and majestic as the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, the Monastery of El Escorial or the Zarzuela Palace. The main façade has a marked horizontality of which three timid bodies stand out, one in the center and the other at the ends, following a symmetrical order. Vertically, the façade is composed of a fake and simple padding, from which the stone ashlars start at the ends of the three bodies, creating a set of colors with the rest of the brick façade. The roof, made of slate, has two waters and the windows are open. The interiors are richly decorated, influenced by the Empire style. The rooms are decorated in such a way that they remind us of the royal sites like the Monastery of El Escorial and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso or in Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors. Other furnishing elements have also been placed, such as the Royal Factory tapestries designed by Goya, which can be found in the various royal palaces. The decoration and the ornamentation of the pavilion were made by the Srs. Benedito and Benlliure. The weapons were installed by the Royal Armory, the tapestries of the Toledo factory, and reproduced vases, modeling those of other royal palaces. It also worked with the painter Jaume Llongueras. Access to the villa is through a large staircase with two sections separated by a fountain, a very recurrent solution in the monarchic baroque architecture. The Capilla de Santa Madrona, preserved, the relics of Santa Madrona, according to the daughter legend of Barcelona, remained in a chapel called Sant Fruitós and documented as a hermitage of Santa Madrona from 1403. This chapel still exists today on the site of the Albéniz Palace, in a point halfway between the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Ethnological Museum of Barcelona. The war of the harvesters struck the building, occupied militarily until 1660, and in 1664 a newly rebuilt church was consecrated, which was destroyed in 1713 due to the combat of the Convent of Santa Madrona; During the 18th century the current church was built, which was restored in 1907. The relics of the saint were brought to the cathedral following the aforementioned battle. Text processing: Giovambattista Spagnuolo (Myooni)