Written by Brian Alfonso
Instagram: @brianvonwittelsbach
There are many palaces in Spain—some converted into museums and some still inhabited by noblemen. But did you know that there’s a palace in Madrid especially built for the Philippines?
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Palacio de Cristal after Dusk
The place is called the Palacio de Cristal or Crystal Palace, and it is one of the most-visited attractions inside the Parque del Buen Retiro, the largest park in Madrid where our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, frequently strolled when he was still living in the Spanish capital.
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Rear view of Palacio de Cristal
The Palacio de Cristal was built in 1887 to be the venue of the Exposición General de Filipinas, a major exhibition that showcased the floras and faunas from the Philippines. The palace is an exemplary model of structures mainly made of cast iron and glass which was considered avant-garde at that time. It was designed by the famous architect, Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, who also handled the prestigious restoration of UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Córdoba.
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Palacio de Cristal Interiors
Several species of “exotic” plants and animals, like carabaos and phytons, from the Philippines were imported to Spain for the exhibition which was attended by the king and his courtiers. A sabong was also included in the programme. They also built a bahay-kubo and made a lake in front of the Palace where they displayed our traditional boats to create a tropical atmosphere.
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This is how the 1887 Exposition looked like:
Source: Biblioteca Nacional de Espana
Nowadays, the Palace is used as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions.
Madrid’s Palacio de Cristal is definitely an item that you should add in your bucket list to give your Spanish adventure a little touch of history.
Have you been to this place before? Show us your photos in the comments!
