Royal Palace of RiofrÃo
The Palacio Real de Riofrio is a Spanish royal palace. The palace is located a few kilometers southwest of the city of Segovia in the province.
History
The castle was built on the initiative of the Dowager Queen Elisabeth from 1751. Elizabeth wanted a retirement home to the new King Ferdinand VI. - Her stepson - to be able to go out of the way. In addition, they had already brought by four political marriages of their children to European thrones, and tried now with the Palace of Riofrio for her youngest son, Luis, to establish a residence. The unexpected death of King Ferdinand, however, led to the fact that Elizabeth's position in the royal family turned again. Their eldest son, Charles III. was the successor of Ferdinand and she returned to Madrid. The castle, however, was inhabited again in the following years to the last regular inhabitants belonged to Franz Ferdinand Maria de Assisi.
The Castle
The designs for the castle are from the Ticino architect Vigilio Rabaglio from Gandria, the construction lasted intermittently until 1766. The four-winged palace reminiscent in its proportions to the Palacio Real in Madrid, but is kept simple in its decoration. Of the Ehrenhofgebäuden here only the eastern wing was built. The facades are similar with their evenness of the Palazzo Farnese, the Roman headquarters of the Farnese. The palace stands in a prominent location in the Sierra de Guadarrama, and the lined by arcades, shady courtyard was in the hot summers a popular residence.
The palace boasts inside with ornate parade rooms and ballrooms, but also the private rooms of the Bourbons are obtained. Since the castle was inhabited for many years again and again, the precious facility has outgrown the different eras.
Area
The castle is surrounded by a relatively barren landscape. Instead of a lush palace gardens, the immediate area of the palace goes directly into the surrounding forest, which also made a hunting lodge with its rich animal population from Riofrio.