Royal Palace of El Pardo

The Royal Palace of El Pardo lies in the oak forest district of the same name some 15 kilometres north-west of central Madrid. Charles V had a Renaissance building begun in 1547 by Luis de Vega on the remains of a medieval hunting lodge, repeatedly extended under the Bourbons. From 1939 until his death in 1975 Francisco Franco lived here and made the palace his seat of office; the tapestry collection with cartoons after Goya was astonishingly left untouched. Since the transition to democracy it has served as the Spanish government's guesthouse for state visits, hosting figures such as Charles de Gaulle and Hugo Chavez. The main palace can be visited daily for an admission fee, and the surrounding forest is freely accessible and a favourite excursion for Madrilenos.