Royal Palace of Riofrío

Segovia, Spain

The Royal Palace of Riofrío is one of the residences of Spain's royal family. Situated in the municipality of San Ildefonso, in the province of Segovia, central Spain, the building is set in a wooded deer-park.

Queen Elisabeth Farnese was widowed in 1746, her husband King Philip V being succeeded by Ferdinand VI, her step-son. As such, to ensure that Elisabeth would remain away from the court, King Ferdinand VI agreed to the construction of a palace at Riofrío for her own disposal. During the reign of her step-son, the queen resided at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso.

The palace was designed in the Italian style, echoing Elisabeth's birth in the Duchy of Parma, northern Italy. It was designed with a central square and was given three stories high, designed by architect Virgilio Rabaglio, himself Swiss from Gandria near Lugano. Rabaglio was responsible for the exterior decoration Sexmini Pedro, making it one of the most influential Italian palaces of all time.

The dowager queen had wanted her son, then King Carlo VIII of Naples to succeed the Spanish throne. However, before the works were completed, King Ferdinand VI died childless in August 1759 and was thus succeeded by King Carlo VIII, who was recognised as King Carlos III of Spain. Elisabeth was created regent till her sons arrival in Spain and subsequently resided at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, dying there in 1766 having never lived at Riofrío. Elisabeth had succeeded in placing four of her children on thrones and intended to give the property to her youngest son, Infante Luis, Count of Chinchón, however he did not use it.

Having been abandoned, it was completed as a hunting lodge and was only used when royalty hunted in the nearby forests. Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony resided there to avoid the courts disapproval of her childless marriage to King Ferdinand VII. The palace was also used by King Francis, consort of Queen Isabel II to avoid his wife and used later still by King Alfonso XII, who resided there while mourning his beloved wife Queen Maria de las Mercedes. Points of interest within the palace include the patio addition, grand staircase, chapel along with its collection of paintings, tapestries and furniture. It is surrounded by a vast forest of 625 hectares, home to deer among other animals. Today Riofrío is the home of a museum dedicated to the history of hunting.

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Address

Segovia, Spain
See all sites in Segovia

Details

Founded: 1752-1759
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Spain

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Edward Macfarlane Smith (15 months ago)
A short drive from Segovia, well worth a visit if you are in the area. The outside of the building is not massively impressive but inside there are some incredible rooms. Tickets were only a few euros, so worthwhile even if you don't have long.
Karl Alfaro (15 months ago)
Nice palace well conserved. 4€ general ticket and 2€ for kids. Note: in the past it was surrounded by many wild animals that you can even feed. unfortunatelly, as of august 2023, is no longer the case, most likely because of the on going drought episodes.
Jolana Zouharová (18 months ago)
I was enchanted by the Royal Palace of Riofrio. It is set in a desolate landscape, far and wide, nothing, amazing!cOnly 15 km from Grancha, it is connected with the monarchs. Together with the Palacio de la Granja, they are the two royal residences in the Segovia area.Sumptuous interiors. And the breathtaking approach to the castle. Definitely worth exploring! Nice staff.
Fj Almena (2 years ago)
Very nice and i do recomend to take a guide to understand better thw why, what and when. Good parking. Very nice surroundings and very close to the town san ildefonso. Very nice trip for a day out... i do recomend it
Omer Butt (2 years ago)
Very beautiful
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