Page 293 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

BOURBON M ADRID  291

7 Museo Nacional
de Artes Decorativas
Calle Montalbán 12. Map 8 D2.
Tel 91 532 64 99.  Retiro, Banco
de España. Open 9:30am–3pm
Tue–Sat (Thu also 5–8pm, except
Jul & Aug), 10am–3pm Sun. Closed
public hols. & (free Thu pm & Sun).
8 Sun (except Jul & Aug). ∑
mnartesdecorativas.mecd.es
Housed in the 19th­century
Palacio de Santoña near the
Parque del Retiro, the National
Museum of Decorative Arts
contains an interesting collec tion
of furniture and objets d’art.
The exhibits are mainly from
Spain and date back as far as
Phoenician times. There are also
some excellent ceramics from
Tala vera de la Reina (see p390),
and ornaments from the Far East.
Refurbishment work may
affect some rooms.

8 Salón de Reinos
Calle Méndez Núñez 1. Map 8 D2.
 Retiro, Banco de España.
Closed for refurbishment.
The Salón de Reinos (Hall
of Kingdoms) is one of the
Central arch of the Puerta de Alcalá two remaining parts of the
17th­century Palacio del Buen
5 Puerta de Alcalá 6 Biblioteca Retiro and gets its name from
Nacional de España the shields of the 24 kingdoms
Map 8 D1.  Retiro.
of the Spanish monarchy, part
This ceremonial gateway is Paseo de Recoletos 20–22. Map 6 D5. of the decor supervised by
the grandest of the monu­ Tel 91 580 78 00. Open 9am–9pm court painter Velázquez (see
ments erected by Carlos III Mon–Fri, 9am–2pm Sat. Open for p36). In the time of Felipe IV,
exhibitions only Sun. Closed public
in his attempt to improve hols. 8 5pm Tue & Fri, noon Sat. the Salón was used for
the looks of eastern Madrid. 7 ∑ bne.es diplomatic receptions
It was designed by Francesco and official ceremonies.
Sabatini to replace a smaller King Philip V of Spain founded
Baroque gateway, which had the National Library in 1712.
been built by Felipe III for the Since then, it has been
entry into Madrid of his wife, mandatory for printers to
Margarita de Austria. submit a copy of every book
Construction of the gate printed in Spain. Currently it
began in 1769 and lasted nine holds some 28 million
years. It was built from granite publications, plus a large
in Neo­Classical style, with a number of maps, musical
lofty pediment and sculpted scores and audiovisual records.
angels. It has five arches – Jewels include a first­edition
three central and two Don Quixote and two
outer rectangular ones. handwritten codes by da Vinci.
Until the mid­19th century A museum looks at the
the gateway marked the city’s history of the library as well
easternmost boundary. It now as the evolution of writing,
stands in the busy Plaza de la reading and media systems.
Independencia, and is best The library also holds regular
seen when floodlit at night. exhibitions, talks and concerts. Impressive façade of the Salón de Reinos

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