Palacio de las Cortes

The Palace of the Cortes, also known as the Palace of the Congress of Deputies, is the building that houses the Congress of Deputies, the lower chamber of the Cortes Generales, the Spanish Parliament. Located in Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid, between Zorrilla Street and Carrera de San Jeronimo near Paseo del Prado, it is an emblematic structure of 19th century Madrid. Built in a neoclassical style, the palace has served as the seat of national sovereignty and the focal point of Spanish political life since its inauguration in 1850, hosting parliamentary deliberations, legislative openings, and state ceremonies.

As a functioning legislative palace rather than a museum, the holdings of the Palacio de las Cortes consist of historically significant artworks, sculptures, and decorative arts integrated into its architecture and interior spaces. These collections serve to allegorize and commemorate Spanish statehood, constitutional values, and historic governance. The interior spaces feature a dedicated library holding around 210,000 volumes, designed by Arturo Melida in 1889. Throughout its chambers, halls, and corridors, the palace preserves a rich array of 19th century monumental paintings, Carrara marble sculptures, allegorical stucco moldings, historic tapestries, and custom furnishings, such as an agate and bronze table, that document the artistic and political history of Spain.

The most iconic exterior works are the two monumental bronze lions flanking the main staircase, sculpted by Ponciano Ponzano in 1866 from cannons captured in the 1860 African War. Popularly named Daoiz and Velarde after heroes of the 1808 uprising, the lion Daoiz is famously missing its scrotal sac, a fact attributed to a sculpting error or lack of materials. The main pediment features a bas relief by Ponzano depicting Spain embracing the Constitution, flanked by allegorical figures of Strength, Justice, Liberty, and other virtues. Inside the semicircular Session Hall, notable works include two large 1863 paintings: Maria de Molina Presents Her Son Fernando IV to the Cortes of Valladolid by Antonio Gisbert, and The Oath of the Deputies of the Cadiz Cortes by Jose Casado del Alisal. The hall ceiling features a painting by Carlos Luis de Ribera depicting Queen Isabella II surrounded by figures like El Cid and Christopher Columbus. Sculptures by Sabino Medina represent the Navy, Agriculture, Commerce, and Science. The Hall of Conferences displays twelve paintings of historic Spanish kingdoms and rivers by Vicente Camaron, alongside marble busts of 19th century politicians. Bullet holes from the 1981 attempted coup remain visible in the Session Hall walls and ceiling.

Designed by Narciso Pascual Colomer, the building is considered a masterpiece of Spanish neoclassicism, built from granite and limestone from the Sierra Norte de Madrid. The main facade faces Carrera de San Jeronimo and is designed in the style of a Renaissance palace with two floors, the first featuring rusticated stonework and the second with windows topped by triangular pediments. A grand portico of six Corinthian columns supports the sculpted triangular pediment and protects the bronze doors, which are only used when the monarch opens parliamentary sessions. The usual entrance is on Floridablanca Street. The interior includes the Isabelline style Hall of Conferences, decorated with neo Plateresque stucco and a glass dome. Today, the complex comprises seven joint buildings totaling nearly 90,000 square meters, blending the historic neoclassical core with modern additions, including a 1990 wing with curving glass and natural stone.

The Palacio de las Cortes is located at Plaza de las Cortes in Madrid, Spain, and is owned by the Spanish state. It remains the active seat of the Congress of Deputies, functioning as the nerve center of Spanish political life and hosting major state events, including the proclamations of King Juan Carlos I in 1975 and King Felipe VI in 2014, as well as state funerals for former presidents. The grand Lions Gate on the main facade is reserved for the entrance of the monarch during the solemn opening of the Cortes, while the everyday entrance for members of parliament is located on Floridablanca Street. The building opens to the public annually during the Open Doors Day held on the long weekend of the Constitution in December. The site is accessible via multiple city bus routes and the BiciMAD bike share scheme.