Palace of Albéniz

About

The Palace of Albéniz (Spanish: Palacete Albéniz, Catalan: Palauet Albéniz), formerly known as the Royal Pavilion of Montjuic, is a palace located on the Montjuïc mountain, in Barcelona, Spain, that currently serves as the official residence of the Spanish royal family in the region. Since its construction it has been adapted to its different functions: first, as a place of representation of the Crown during the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition and, after it, as accommodation for illustrious personalities. It has currently become the official residence of the Spanish royal family during their official stays in Catalonia.

The palace was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Contrary to popular belief, the building did not serve as a royal residence, but housed the representation of the Royal Household. The royal family used it as a resting place, for light meals and tea, as well as to receive distinguished guests who visited the exposition. During the event, the sovereigns resided in the recently built Royal Palace of Pedralbes.

The design of the pavilion was carried out by the architect of the Royal House, Juan Moya Idígoras (1867–1953). For this reason, although the buildings in the exhibition were not characterized by their stylistic homogeneity, the building stood out because it did not follow the guidelines of the Mediterranean and Catalan architecture of most of the palaces and pavilions in the Exposition, but was closer to Bourbon tastes and the aesthetics of Royal Sites.

The official inauguration, in the presence of King Alfonso XIII, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the infantas and other authorities, took place on 5 October 1929.

In 1930, once the exposition was over, it was proposed to locate the Barcelona Music Museum in the palace. The project did not prosper but the Board of Museums proposed the construction and placement of a bust in honor of the musician, composer and pianist Isaac Albéniz. The City Council gave its approval and from that moment the Royal Pavilion of Montjuic has been known as the Palacete or Palauet Albéniz. This bust was sculpted by the Enric Casanovas and Mateu Fernández Soto.

After remaining closed and unoccupied during the Second Republic and the Civil War, in 1952, the palace served as accommodation for cardinal Angelo Dell'Acqua, Pontifical Legate, who came to Barcelona for the XXXV Eucharistic congress. In 1957, Mayor Josep Maria de Porcioles i Colomer decided to convert the building into accommodation for distinguished visitors, including Prince Constantine of Greece, Richard Nixon, William Tubman, Habib Bourguiba, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant and Christian Pineau.

From 1965 to 1970, the Barcelona City Council decided to remodel and expand the palace, and awarded the project to the local architects Joaquim Ros de Ramis, Antoni Lozoya and Ignasi Serra Goday. With the addition of the two new wings, the old quadrangular-shaped pavilion became the current shape of a capital "T".

Mayor Porcioles decided that the interior be decorated with paintings by the most representative artists of contemporary Catalan art, such as Ramon Martí Alsina, Ramon Casas, Joaquin Mir Trinxet or Santiago Rusiñol, among others, as well as with furniture from the personal collection of Luis Plandiura, a famous Barcelona collector. The renovation also included the creation of a dome with paintings by Salvador Dalí that evoke culture and the city and another with a stained glass window by Carlos Muñoz de Pablos.

The demolition of the nearby Palace of the Missions and Palace of Modern Art also allowed for the extension of the gardens, which received the name of Joan Maragall gardens in honor of the Spanish poet. The new building was inaugurated by Francisco Franco on 23 June 1970.

The first guests of the renovated palace were the princes Juan Carlos de Borbón and Sofía de Grecia in February 1971, who, after their accession to the throne in 1975, preferred to use the Albéniz Palace as their official residence in the city instead of the Royal Palace of Pedralbes. Their son, King Felipe VI, and his wife, Queen Letizia, also prefer Albéniz to Pedralbes.

The palace was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Contrary to popular belief, the building did not serve as a royal residence, but housed the representation of the Royal Household. The royal family used it as a resting place, for light meals and tea, as well as to receive distinguished guests who visited the exposition. During the event, the sovereigns resided in the recently built Royal Palace of Pedralbes.

The design of the pavilion was carried out by the architect of the Royal House, Juan Moya Idígoras (1867–1953). For this reason, although the buildings in the exhibition were not characterized by their stylistic homogeneity, the building stood out because it did not follow the guidelines of the Mediterranean and Catalan architecture of most of the palaces and pavilions in the Exposition, but was closer to Bourbon tastes and the aesthetics of Royal Sites.

The official inauguration, in the presence of King Alfonso XIII, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the infantas and other authorities, took place on 5 October 1929.

In 1930, once the exposition was over, it was proposed to locate the Barcelona Music Museum in the palace. The project did not prosper but the Board of Museums proposed the construction and placement of a bust in honor of the musician, composer and pianist Isaac Albéniz. The City Council gave its approval and from that moment the Royal Pavilion of Montjuic has been known as the Palacete or Palauet Albéniz. This bust was sculpted by the Enric Casanovas and Mateu Fernández Soto.

After remaining closed and unoccupied during the Second Republic and the Civil War, in 1952, the palace served as accommodation for cardinal Angelo Dell'Acqua, Pontifical Legate, who came to Barcelona for the XXXV Eucharistic congress. In 1957, Mayor Josep Maria de Porcioles i Colomer decided to convert the building into accommodation for distinguished visitors, including Prince Constantine of Greece, Richard Nixon, William Tubman, Habib Bourguiba, Cardinal Eugène Tisserant and Christian Pineau.

From 1965 to 1970, the Barcelona City Council decided to remodel and expand the palace, and awarded the project to the local architects Joaquim Ros de Ramis, Antoni Lozoya and Ignasi Serra Goday. With the addition of the two new wings, the old quadrangular-shaped pavilion became the current shape of a capital "T".

Mayor Porcioles decided that the interior be decorated with paintings by the most representative artists of contemporary Catalan art, such as Ramon Martí Alsina, Ramon Casas, Joaquin Mir Trinxet or Santiago Rusiñol, among others, as well as with furniture from the personal collection of Luis Plandiura, a famous Barcelona collector. The renovation also included the creation of a dome with paintings by Salvador Dalí that evoke culture and the city and another with a stained glass window by Carlos Muñoz de Pablos.

The demolition of the nearby Palace of the Missions and Palace of Modern Art also allowed for the extension of the gardens, which received the name of Joan Maragall gardens in honor of the Spanish poet. The new building was inaugurated by Francisco Franco on 23 June 1970.

The first guests of the renovated palace were the princes Juan Carlos de Borbón and Sofía de Grecia in February 1971, who, after their accession to the throne in 1975, preferred to use the Albéniz Palace as their official residence in the city instead of the Royal Palace of Pedralbes. Their son, King Felipe VI, and his wife, Queen Letizia, also prefer Albéniz to Pedralbes.

It was built with brick and stone framing the windows, doors and corners and its roofs are made of slate. Its exterior appearance has strong influences from Herrerian architecture, such as the Palacio de Santa Cruz or the Palacio de los Concejos. On the other hand, the original quadrangular plan of the pavilion is inspired by the Palace of Zarzuela or the Casita del Infante in El Escorial, both of them inspired by the Bolognese villa model of Serlio. Despite the changes and extensions that it has undergone due to its different uses, it can be said that the building retains its original characteristics.