The Galería de las Colecciones Reales (Royal Collections Gallery) displays the treasures gathered by the kings of Spain over five centuries: paintings, tapestries, armour, furniture, musical instruments and carriages, all in the care of Patrimonio Nacional. Opened to the public in summer 2023, it is built into the slope that runs down from the Royal Palace to the Campo del Moro gardens, between the palace and Almudena Cathedral, a ten-minute walk from the Puerta del Sol. The building, designed by the architects Luis Moreno Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón, stretches a long granite façade of vertical piers towards the Casa de Campo. The route goes down from the level of the Catholic Monarchs and the Habsburgs to that of the Bourbons, then to the temporary exhibition rooms. Patrimonio Nacional estimates the visit at two hours.
Highlights
The architecture of Mansilla and Tuñón
Seen from below, the gallery forms a granite base under the palace, punctuated by piers that filter the light. Inside, large rooms in a row, lit by long windows, open onto the Campo del Moro gardens and the Casa de Campo.
The Muslim wall
On level -1, the building works uncovered a stretch of Madrid's first wall, built in the 9th century around the Muslim fortress from which the city grew. The remains are displayed in the gallery, with an audiovisual presentation on the origins of Madrid.
The Habsburgs and the Bourbons
Level -1 brings together the collections of the Catholic Monarchs and the Habsburgs: tapestries, the Royal Armoury and paintings by Bosch, Titian, El Greco, Ribera, Velázquez and Caravaggio, including Velázquez's White Horse and Caravaggio's Salome with the Head of John the Baptist. Level -2, devoted to the Bourbons, shows furniture, musical instruments and decorative arts, with works by Mengs, Tiepolo, Paret, Maella and Goya's royal portraits.
Level -3 and the temporary exhibitions
The lowest level is devoted to the 21st century: an immersive cube projects 360-degree images of the palaces and royal sites run by Patrimonio Nacional. It also hosts the temporary exhibitions, which require a separate ticket (€8).
Tickets and prices
Basic ticket: €14, reduced €7 (ages 5 to 16, over-65s, students up to 25). Combined ticket with the Royal Palace: €24, reduced €12. Free for under-5s and, with proof, for large families, teachers, official guides, ICOM members, people with disabilities (33% or more) and jobseekers; free for everyone on 18 May (International Museum Day) and 12 October (Spain's national day). From Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 8pm, admission is free for citizens of the European Union and Latin America and EU residents, with proof.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Entry is by time slot and visitor numbers are limited: buy your ticket online from Patrimonio Nacional's official ticket office (prices checked in October 2026). Free tickets for the 6pm to 8pm slot are only issued at the ticket desks, on presentation of your ID. Bags larger than 40 × 40 cm must be left in the cloakroom or lockers, free with your ticket; photos without flash are allowed, but not selfie sticks. An audio guide is available in 16 languages, and the gallery has a café on level 0.
How to get there
Calle de Bailén, s/n, 28013 Madrid; visitor entrance and ticket desks on the plaza de la Armería, between the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral (second ticket desk on the Cuesta de la Vega side). Metro Ópera (lines 2 and 5), a 5-minute walk through the plaza de Oriente. Bus: lines 3 and 148
Opening hours
Nearby
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