El Pardo Palace

Royal Palace of El Pardo
Native name Spanish: Palacio Real de El Pardo
Location	Madrid, Spain
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Palacio Real de El Pardo
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	1931
Reference no.	RI-51-0001062
Location of Royal Palace of El Pardo in Spain

The Royal Palace of El Pardo (Spanish: Palacio Real de El Pardo) is a historic building near Madrid, Spain, in the present-day district of Fuencarral-El Pardo. It is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency.

The palace began as a royal hunting lodge. It became an alternative residence of the kings of Spain until the reign of Alfonso XII, who died in the palace in 1885.

King Enrique III of Castile ordered the building of the pavilion in 1406, on Mount El Pardo, because of its abundant game. Later, in the time of Emperor Carlos V (1547), it was transformed into a palace by the architect Luis de Vega. On 13 March 1604, a massive fire destroyed many of the paintings, including masterpieces by Titian. King Carlos III renovated the building in the 18th century, appointing his architect Francesco Sabatini to undertake the job. It was newly transformed in the 20th century, doubling in size with the construction of an identical copy of the original structure to the east.

The interior decoration includes a ceiling frescoed by Gaspar Becerra, and paintings by Vincenzo Carducci and Cabrera.

In 1739 the palace hosted talks between the governments of Britain and Spain, who eventually agreed to the Convention of Pardo in a bid to avert a war. However, the Convention failed to prevent war breaking out shortly afterwards.