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The private gardens of the Palacio de Liria can be visited until August
This summer, Madrid will open one of those places that has almost always remained out of the city’s sight. For the first time, the private gardens of the Palacio de Liria can be visited between May and August, allowing entry into a space historically reserved for the House of Alba and very few guests.
The opening makes the palace one of the season's most striking cultural plans in central Madrid. Tours will begin on 14 May and will take place in small groups, something that completely changes the experience: no overcrowded visits or quick routes. Here the idea is to stroll slowly among historic gardens, sculptures and corners that normally remain hidden behind the palace walls.
The Fundación Casa de Alba has prepared guided visits focused both on the history of the site and on its landscape evolution. The space was transformed over the centuries through interventions by architects and designers linked to some of Madrid's great urban and heritage projects.
In addition to the botanical tour, those choosing the full ticket will also be able to access the interior of Liria Palace and its art collection, with works by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens and Titian. This is joined by the temporary exhibition Noches y días, by artist José María Sicilia, installed in various historic rooms of the building.
The combination of classical heritage and contemporary art fits quite well with the moment Madrid is experiencing, where more and more cultural institutions are trying to open spaces traditionally closed off and offer experiences that are more exclusive, unhurried and linked to urban heritage.
Visits will have very limited capacity — only 30 people per group — and will take place in the morning, before the heat completely transforms the rhythm of the city centre. That detail also changes how the tour feels: quiet gardens, fewer tourists and a very different image of the usual Madrid.
Liria Palace has occupied a singular position within the city for centuries. Surrounded by Chamberí, Malasaña and Conde Duque, it functions almost as a historic island within an increasingly fast-paced Madrid. The temporary opening of its gardens not only allows entry to an exceptional private space: it also offers another way of looking at the centre, calmer, more hidden and much less known even to many people from Madrid.