The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), with its more than 3400 rooms, is considered to be the largest in Western Europe. The Spanish Monarchy has roots that go back to the fifth century. Today, it is a constitutional monarchy. While the palace is the official residence of the Royal Family, it is now only used for state ceremonies. King Felipe VI and his family choose to live in more modest surroundings on the outskirts of Madrid. What a shame! This is a beautiful building that now really only serves as a tourist attraction. We could live quite comfortably in just a half-dozen of its rooms. However, it was fun to explore how lavishly royalty lived. Could they ever spend money on their residences!
The Royal Palace of Madrid as seen from the neighboring Cathedral Santa Maria, La Real de la Almundena.