Madrid's Royal Tapestry Factory: workshops and guided visits

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Real Fábrica de Tapices is a working manufacturer founded in 1721 to supply textiles for the royal court. Based near Atocha in a Neo-Mudéjar brick building since 1889, it still makes and restores carpets, tapestries and wall hangings. Guided visits explain this manual craft and its connection with Goya's tapestry cartoons. This is not a museum with walk-in access: workshop visits require a confirmed reservation.

Highlights

The Neo-Mudéjar building

Exposed brickwork and the workshop buildings illustrate Madrid's late nineteenth-century industrial architecture. José Segundo de Lema designed the new premises, occupied in 1889. Goya worked for the factory long before this move: he did not paint his cartoons in this building.

The weaving workshops

The tour explains how a painted design becomes a tapestry and how carpets are made. You encounter specialist equipment and skills in a factory that remains active. The spaces shown depend on that day's work.

The textile collections

Tapestries and carpets illustrate the finished products and the traditions preserved here. The connection with Goya becomes clearer through technique: his cartoons are designs for weavers, not tapestries themselves. To see the original paintings, add a visit to the Prado.

Practical info

Tips

Prices checked in October 2026: €6 standard admission, €5 reduced admission with proof of eligibility; the Monday 10:00 visit is free but requires booking. The advertised duration is 45 minutes and departures depend on group confirmation; do not arrive without a response from the factory. Wear sturdy closed shoes and suitable clothing: this is an industrial workplace.

How to get there

Calle de Fuenterrabía, 2, 28014 Madrid. Metro Menéndez Pelayo (line 1), followed by a walk to the entrance. From Atocha station, approach through the Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona area; allow extra time for construction around the station.