Palacio Real de Madrid

On Wednesday, we took a field trip to the Palacio Real de Madrid. Although the royal family doesn’t currently reside there, they use the building for state functions, weddings, funerals, and various events throughout the year, reserved only for the royal family. They currently reside in a less modest palace, the Zarzuela Palace, just outside of Madrid. Although the palace is a mere 3 centuries old, the area it stands on had been the site of a defensive fortress to keep out invaders since the 9th century. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside, but the palace was truly amazing. It consists of over 3000 rooms, only 20 of which we were allowed to see, and has it’s own armory and pharmacy on the palace grounds. At the base of the palace is the Catedral de Almudena, a catholic cathedral, that, more recently, held the marraige of Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Asturias  in 2004.