Madrid gems
When it comes to football, you cannot miss the Spanish team. But that is not that only thing the country has to offer. If you are into adventure and exploration then you will find Madrid, the capital city of Spain, a magnificent place. The largest and the most beautiful palace in Spain is the royal palace. It is the largest palace in the Western Europe. A Moorish palace once stood in the place where it was built, though it was destroyed by a fire in 1734.
The palace is the home of many magnificent pieces of furniture, ceramics and even frescos by the great Tiépolo. But that is not all the palace has to offer. This royal palace features the work of other great artisans such as Goya, Giordano and Mengs. It is the work of these artists that has made the royal palace one of the most significant museums of the world.
Another famous palace in Madrid is called the Palacio de las Cortes de España, but this is a different kind of a palace. Like the royal palace, it is not a museum, but it is where the parliament is located. Built in 1843, it is considered one of the finest neoclassical architecture structures. Even though the building serves as an office for government officials, it is open for the public, but one needs to show a proper ID or passport before entering.
If you are courageous enough to walk into a haunted castle then Casa de las Siete Chimneys is the place to go. It is said that during a full moon, ghosts roam the palace. There are many stories related to the ghost myth. Some say the house was built to keep an illegitimate daughter of King Felipe the second under lock and key as she was not sane. Another legend says that while King Felipe was getting married for the fourth time, his then-lover was very upset with the news.
She was locked in the house by the king until she escaped and decided to marry an older man to make the king jealous. Alas, the plan did not work as the king was very enthusiastic about the wedding. This enraged the lover even more and on the day of the wedding she stabbed herself. Many claim that they have seen her ghost during the full moon. What is more disturbing is that one such dead body with a knife in the chest was found in the house much later by a group of construction workers.
You may wonder why the house is called the seven chimneys. The answer is very simple: the house actually has seven chimneys. Many believe that the seven chimneys represent the seven cardinal sins. Haunted or not, the palaces of Spain have much to offer, so do not let the rumors scare you. Take a walk through the passages of the palaces and take a stroll through history.