The fire that changed Madrid forever: Was Philip V to blame?

The night the Alcázar of the Habsburgs burned and the Royal Palace was born

In the early hours of December 25, 1734, as Madrid prepared for Midnight Mass, a tragedy unfolded in the heart of the city. fire at the Alcázar of Madrid, The Royal Palace, the official residence of the Spanish monarchy for centuries, was razed in four days. What remained were ashes, rubble… and many questions.

The Alcázar: from Arab fortress to imperial palace

The Alcázar had roots in the 9th century, when the Arabs founded Mayrit, A fortified citadel on the Manzanares River. With the Reconquista, the Christians transformed the fortress into a royal palace. Over the centuries, dynasties such as the Trastámara, the Catholic Monarchs, and the Habsburgs expanded and embellished it.

Philip II made it an official residence when he moved the court to Madrid. Philip IV transformed it into a museum with more than 2,000 works of art, including pieces by Velázquez, Rubens, Titian, Raphael, Brueghel and Leonardo da Vinci.

A Christmas Eve that's too convenient

Philip V, the first Bourbon on the Spanish throne, raised in Versailles, considered the Alcázar dark and outdated. He tried to modernize it without success. And then, the fire happened.
The official version states that the fire started in the apartments of the painter Jean Ranc, due to a poorly extinguished fireplace. The flames spread rapidly, devouring furniture, tapestries, and hundreds of works of art.

Where was the king?

Philip V was not at the Alcázar. Neither he, nor the royal family, nor most of the staff. They were all celebrating Christmas Eve at the Palace of El Pardo. Coincidence? Or a masterstroke?

Rumors point to a conspiracy: Did the king order the fire to get rid of the Habsburg legacy and build a palace to his liking? Some works had already been moved to the Buen Retiro Palace, and the building was almost empty. It is even said that Philip V ordered exorcise the Alcázar shortly before the fire, convinced that he was cursed.

Las Meninas and the miracle of Velázquez

Among the more than 500 lost works, there were miracles. Las Meninas Velázquez's painting was thrown out of a window by friars from the San Gil convent. The canvas was damaged, but survived. Today it hangs in the Prado Museum as a witness to that night.

Other works, such as The surrender of Breda, Some paintings were also saved thanks to the actions of religious figures who removed them from the lower walls. Those higher up were consumed by the flames.

From the ashes, a new empire

Four years after the fire, Philip V ordered a new palace to be built on the same site. This time, without wood. The new building would be made of stone, monumental, and symmetrical. Thus was born the Royal Palace of Madrid, with more than 3,400 rooms, larger than Versailles and Buckingham Palace combined.

Inspired by Bernini's designs for the Louvre, the new palace marked the end of the Habsburg legacy and the beginning of the Bourbon era. A more French-influenced, more enlightened Madrid… and one more in keeping with the monarch's tastes.

Accident or conspiracy?

Was it the fire at the Alcázar of Madrid An accident caused by careless servants? Or a covert operation to erase the past and construct a new symbol of royal power?

The official story leans toward the first option. But the evidence, the coincidences, and the political context still leave room for doubt. What is certain is that the fire forever changed Madrid's skyline… and the course of its history.

Relive the lost Alcázar with HistARy Madrid

Would you like to see what the Alcázar looked like before the fire? Or stroll through the 9th-century Arab citadel of Mayrit?

In History of Madrid, We've made it possible. Thanks to augmented reality, you can explore Madrid's past like never before: from the walls of the Alcázar to the secrets of Islamic Madrid.