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Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque
Six hundred soldiers and four hundred horses—that's what Felipe V needed to house when he ordered Pedro de Ribera to build this fortress in November 1717. The royal architect created a baroque masterpiece meant to shelter his elite Guardias de Corps, those legendary guards famous as much for their crimson uniforms as for their deadly skill. Look at this rose-brick facade as you approach along Conde Duque street—it's considered the last great example of pure Madrid baroque before Italian styles took over. Step through that massive portal into the central courtyard, and you're standing where political prisoners once languished in the western tower. An 1869 fire nearly destroyed everything, but this building survived worse. In 1975, the city actually planned to demolish it entirely... until historians and architects fought to save it. They succeeded. Now, those same crumbling barracks house one of Madrid's most dynamic contemporary art spaces—55,000 square meters of galleries, theaters, and studios. The soldiers marched away 56 years ago, but the architecture still commands attention.
Did You Know?
- :fact: The Conde Duque building was originally constructed in the early 18th century as barracks for the elite Royal Corps guards, serving as the personal protectors of Spain’s kings and queens—a role that gave it a unique place in royal history.
- :fact: The building’s striking pink façade and ornate Churrigueresque style are the work of Pedro de Ribera, one of Madrid’s most celebrated Baroque architects, whose designs helped define the city’s architectural identity.
- :fact: After surviving two devastating fires in the 19th century and narrowly escaping demolition, the Conde Duque was transformed into a vibrant cultural center, now hosting everything from art exhibitions to children’s theater, making it a living monument to Madrid’s evolving cultural life.