Hall of Realms

The pink palace you’re passing by right now is the Hall of Realms. It gets its name from the ceiling paintings inside, which depict the coats of arms of the 24 kingdoms and territories under the Spanish monarchy, during the reign of Philip IV. A member of the powerful Habsburg family, he was often nicknamed the “Planet King” for being the king of Spain, the Indies, the Two Sicilies, Portugal, the Algarves, and the Spanish Netherlands. After all, in the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain was seen as the most powerful country in the world. This period is often assimilated as the Spanish Golden Age. It all started with the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs, which unified the Spanish kingdom, followed by the discovery of the New World in 1492, which led to the establishment of a vast Spanish colonial empire in the Americas. People even said that under Charles V, from the Spanish Habsburgs, the sun never set on the empire, as his territory stretched across three continents. Spain’s famous royal fleet, the Armada, was feared by all, and its military played a key role in many conflicts. Philip IV inherited this enormous empire, yet he met challenges, economic crises, and territorial losses, marking the start of Spain’s decline. One thing is clear: history doesn’t remember him as a great leader. However, he is remembered for being a true art enthusiast and benefactor, helping Spain grow into a major cultural hub with many contributions to art and literature. Therefore, it was Philip IV who ordered the construction of the Hall of Realms as a new wing of the grand Buen Retiro Palace, which had been built in the 16th century as a secondary residence and retreat for the royal family — hence the name “good retreat”. Unfortunately, only a few parts of the palace remain today, because the rest was destroyed during attacks by Napoleon’s troops between 1808 and 1814. What’s left are the vast Retiro Gardens, the Hall of Realms, and the Cason del Buen Retiro, which is now part of the Prado Museum. Originally intended as a ballroom and entertainment space, the Hall of Realms later took on a ceremonial role as the throne room, where foreign courts were received. The building you see today was modified multiple times due to reforms after the War of Independence. For many years, it housed the Army Museum, which has since then moved to the Alcazar of Toledo, and is now used as an annex of the Prado Museum.