Santa Cruz Palace, Madrid Explained

Santa Cruz Palace
Native Name:Palacio de Santa Cruz
Native Language:Spanish
Location:Madrid, Spain
Designation1:Spain
Designation1 Offname:Palacio de Santa Cruz
Designation1 Type:Non-movable
Designation1 Criteria:Monument
Designation1 Date:1996
Designation1 Number:RI-51-0009563

The Palacio de Santa Cruz or Palace of the Holy Cross is a baroque building in central Madrid, Spain. It now houses the Spanish Foreign Ministry. It was used as a jail until the reign of Philip IV of Spain, when it was converted into a palace.

Construction was commissioned in 1629 by Philip IV to house both courts and jail facilities. The architect Juan Gómez de Mora worked on it from 1629 to 1636, and later other architects like José de Villareal, Bartolomé Hurtado García, and José del Olmo added elements.

In 1767 it changed from jail to the Palacio de Santa Cruz, due to its proximity to the church of Santa Cruz. A fire destroyed all but the facade in 1791.

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40.4146°N -3.706°W