Les marbres dans la décoration du Palais royal de Madrid

Abstract

The construction of the Royal Palace of Madrid marked a turning point in the history of Spanish art. The interior decoration used a profusion of marble and ornamental stone, chosen for their colour and rarity. In the eighteenth century it was decided to decorate the walls of the palace’s main rooms, to leave no wall without marble. The desire to imitate the Italian masons who executed the tabernacle and the altar of the Escorial chapel is clearly evident. These works have long been cause for national pride. For the decoration of the Royal Palace of Madrid, Philip V and his successors decided to use only Spanish materials. This exclusivity led to an exploratory campaign and geological exploitation of the territory, which provided comprehensive national orographic information until 1748 when Ferdinand VI allowed the opening of private quarries to continue the work.