Chapter 5
Imposing, severe and incongruous, the Alcazar in Madrid dominated the city, its towers facing west towards the deep Manzanares river valley. The recent reconstruction work hadn't succeeded in creating a harmonious building for it was a curious hybrid where elegant classical shapes had been forcibly grafted onto the severe lines of the ancient fortress.
Once inside, beyond the solid facade of red brick and granite, there were two main courtyards, dedicated to the king and queen respectively, with a double set of arches and finely sculpted architraves, whose allegorical motifs had an Italian flavour. At the heart of the palace stood the royal chapel. From there a lofty staircase led to the piano nobile connecting the two loggias round which the various rooms were built.
Despite
