The Lira Palace: a miniature Prado in an aristocratic residence

In Calle Princesa -to add to the pomp- occupying numbers 20 to 22, in the heart of Madrid, the neoclassical Lira palace has stood since the 18th century in the neoclassical style. Amidst trees and impeccable French gardens, this residence is the favourite residence of the House of Alba, built by Ventura Rodrígiuez on the plans of Louis Gilbert. Its 200 rooms in more than three thousand square metres make it the largest private property in the city and its walls and corners house one of the most important, largest and most respected art collections in Spain, cultivated for fifteen centuries by the nobles of this family.

Since September 2019 the first two floors of this palace - the third floor is still home to Duke Carlos Fitz-James Stuart y Martínez de Irujo- have been open to the public, in a museum in which not only Velazquez, Goyas and Rubens can be seen hanging on walls with wallpaper and surrounded by armchairs and clocks that have passed from generation to generation, in the home of one of the most important noble families in the country -and in Europe.

In the very distant 14th century, King Henry II of Castile, grateful for the services that the Álvarez de Toledo family had offered to the crown, rewarded them with a couple of lordships and the opening of doors to the nobility. A century later, the closeness between the family and the crown was further strengthened when they took it upon themselves to iron out the differences they had with the Castilian nobility. In 1472 they were given the noble title with which the name they now bear - House of Alba - was founded, when García Álvarez de Toledo became Duke of Alba de Tormes by concession of Henry IV of Castile.

The members of this family - dukes and duchesses, of course - have been noted for various things. For example, the third duke was nicknamed the Iron Duke for his military campaigns in the Eighty Years' War. And the thirteenth duchess, on the other hand, was known for having seduced Goya, the painter, who made sure to portray her multiple times.

As nobility does, this family allied itself with others who also bore titles in their names, thus accumulating nomenclatures that gave them, as the years went by, more and more patrimonial, historical and political wealth. The 18th Duchess of Alba -María de Rosario Cayetana Paloma Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Fernanda Teresa Francisca de Paula Lourdes Antonia Josefa Fausta Rita Castor Dorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, Falcó y Gurtubay- had even more noble titles (40) than first names, and was particularly famous for her love of fashion, which led to a few scandals.

These alliances through inheritances and marriages allowed the House to acquire an enormous number of pieces.

Until the opening of the Casa de Alba, this collection had only been seen in dribs and drabs when the family decided to make loans for exhibitions. In 1973 Doña Cayetana, as the 18th Duchess, mother of the current Duke, was called, gave birth to the Casa de Alba Foundation, dedicated to the dissemination and opening of the Casa de Alba collection together with its palaces, the Duke's current residences, to offer the possibility of enjoying and getting to know his legacy.

"The origin of the collections of the Palacio de Liria responds to the refined tastes and cultural tastes of its inhabitants, who sought artistic objects to decorate their palaces", is announced on the website of the Museo Palacio de Liria. Of the complete collection, which is made up of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, engravings, documents and books, as well as a large collection of porcelain and decorative arts that are arranged in the halls, the works of great masters of painting such as Goya, Velázquez, Murillo, Zurbarán, Greco, Ribera, Rubens, Titian, Palma the Elder, Brueghel de Velours, Madrazo and Winterhalter stand out.

But there are also other treasures, such as the volumes that can be found in the library, which houses, among others, the oldest Bible in Spanish, a second edition of Don Quixote by Cervantes and a rich archive of correspondence with Christopher Columbus -member of the House of Alba- which includes the maps of his voyage in 1492.

Entrance to the palace costs €15, which includes a 65-minute audio guide through 14 rooms. The collection has been compared to that of the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace in Madrid, although the experience is very different as everything is still set up as it was when the noble family still lived in these flats.

It is recommended and encouraged to buy tickets in advance, for logistics and convenience. This can be done here.