Beautiful Palace de la Magdalena in spain
In the peninsula of Magdalena there is a palace that was built to house Alfonso XIII and his family when they visited the area.
It has a neoclassic French and English style. It currently houses the university (Universidad Internacional Palacio de la Magdalena Menéndez Pelayo), where they give important lectures every summer.
The gardens are perfect for getting lost.
The Palacio de la Magdalena was built between 1909 and 1911, by popular subscription, to house the Spanish Royal Family. Built by the architects Javier González Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega, is located in the place where the old Fort of San Salvador de Hano was, which protected the entrance to the bay.
The design and construction of the palace were overseen by architects Javier González de Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega, with construction completed in 1912. King Alfonso XIII and his family first arrived at the Palacio de la Magdalena on August 4, 1913, and returned annually to summer at the palace through 1930. The royal family used the palace as a base for numerous recreational and sporting activities, and the king sometimes also held government meetings at the property. The annual trips ended with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931.
Beginning in 1932, the palace was used to host summer courses through the Menéndez Pelayo International University. In 1977 the Count of Barcelona sold the palace and the peninsula back to the city of Santander for 150 million pesetas. The palace was declared an historical monument in 1982 and renovated between 1993 and 1995. It is the most visited place in the city of Santander and continues to be used as a conference and meeting hall to the present day.
The palace is open daily except during the summer months when it can be toured only on the weekends. Guided tours take place several times a day and last for approximately 45 minutes. The tours have a fee and are only conducted in Spanish. Children under the age of 10 enter for free.
The Palacio de la Magdalena is located at the top of the Magdalena Peninsula, a large coastal park that encompasses other attractions including a small marine park, the Muelle de las Carabelas (the Dock of the Caravelles, also known as the Museum of Man and the Sea), beaches and a lighthouse. Take a bus from the city center that stops close to the peninsula’s entrance or drive and use the large free parking lot just outside the park.
Design
The building has an eclectic style, combining English, French, and regional architectural styles. It has two points of entry, a north entrance with a Porte-cochère for carriages, and a second entrance to the south which was designed as the main entrance. The building is covered with stone masonry slate. The highlight of the interior is the reception rooms, which hold paintings of interest by artists such as Luis Benedito, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, and Fernando Alvarez Sotomayor.
The stables were designed by Javier González de Riancho. They emulate a medieval English village with sharp roofs of steep slopes and wooden tiles. After summer courses were started, the stables were converted to student dormitories.
