The Spanish government’s Patrimonio Nacional, or National Heritage agency, which runs many royal palaces and sites, is opening a new museum of royal collections later this month.
It’s the first major museum opening in Madrid in years and expected to contain treasures collected by Spanish monarchs through the centuries.
One piece of note will be the Crown of Atocha, which Queen Isabella II gifted to the Virgin of Atocha in the 1800s after surviving an assassination attempt.
The Crown of Atocha is replete with diamonds and topaz, and also includes a large halo. It is currently not on display.
Similarly, it was only in recent years that King Felipe VI put on display at the Madrid Royal Palace a crown from the 1700s that has been used for high occasions.
The large and heavy crown only looks like Spain’s heraldic crown. It contains coats of arms of kingdoms associated with the Spanish monarchy — but not necessarily Spain’s current constituent kingdoms.
The new Gallery of Royal Collections is considered a masterpiece building near the Madrid Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral.
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