Palacio de Velázquez

Historia

Palacio de Velázquez, or Velázquez Palace is an exhibition hall located in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain.Originally known as the Palacio de la Minería, it was built in 1881-3 for the Exposición Nacional de Minería by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, engineer Alberto Palacio, and ceramist Daniel Zuloaga. It functions as an arts and crafts gallery and is listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural. The building's interior is viewable on Google Street View and it is part of the Google Art Project.GeographyPalacio de Velázquez is located in the Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid's Jeronimos district. It occupies a central position in the park, between the large boating lake and the small lake next to the Palacio de Cristal. The Buen Retiro ("nice retreat") was originally a royal hunting ground converted into an exclusive royal park for Felipe IV's Buen Retiro Palace, which spread over 300acre. The palace was largely demolished after the Peninsular War, with only Casón del Buen Retiro (a ballroom) and Salón de Reinos (used as a throne room) still existing, and the park has been open to public since 1868.