Palacio del Infante Don Luis

This palace, representative of the late Spanish Baroque style, was built in 1765 by Ventura Rodríguez under the orders of the Infant Luis Antonio de Borbón y Farnesio, brother of Carlos III. The palace is set in extensive gardens. It was declared a National Monument in 1974 and was the setting for the film, Goya’s Ghosts,  by Milos Forman, in 2006.

The current construction stands on the former Dos Torres Palace, residence of the  Marquis of Mirabal, from whom the Infant Luis bought the lordship of Boadilla. The Infant lived there from 1765 until 1776.

The modest Palace has an elongated rectangular floor plan and occupies a surface area of just over 6,300 square metres.  It is divided into three main bodies, with  three heights on the main façade and four levels on the façade which overlooks the garden, due to the uneven lie of the land. Two secondary bodies of a single height are added to them. At the sides, two small towers rise up. It is mainly built out of brick in a pinkish tone, and stone was used for the entrances, gables and plinths and the upper part of the façades, which are adorned with different vases and coats of arms in stone.

Inside, the beautiful chapel stands out, which is the most significant work by Ventura Rodríguez in the palace, in which he used materials like marble, bronze or stucco.

The Bird House at the Infante Don Luis Palace was opened in September 2021 following its full refurbishment. The Boadilla palace is the only palace in Spain to conserve a space of these characteristics, built to house live animals, following the wildlife tradition of other royal sites, such as La Granja, Aranjuez, El Retiro or the Palacio Real in Madrid. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 2pm and from 4pm to 7pm.

For more information, check official website.

Guided visits of the Palace and the Historic Heritage of the municipality of Boadilla

Boadilla del Monte Tourism Department offers diverse guided visits, for which tickets must be purchased in advance. See all of the information on the official website.

If you visit Boadilla, you cannot miss:

Although the main attraction is the Infant Don Luis Palace, Boadilla boasts other interesting places to visit, such as the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation, St. Christopher’s Church, Ventura Rodríguez’s Fountain, St. Sebastian’s Chapel, the Stone Bridge over the Arroyo de Vallelargo or the Stone Bridge on the Road to Madrid.