Royal Palace
This emblematic palace is intimately related to the Islamic origins of Madrid: it rests where the Emir Mohamed I built a defensive fortress in the 9th century, the seed of medina Mayrit. When the alcazar burned down in 1734, Felipe V, the first of the Bourbon kings, wanted a palace to impress all its European counterparts. The result: 3.418 rooms of monumental and overwhelming presence. No monarch has lived here since 1931, it's used only for official occasions.