The palace began as a royal hunting lodge on the hill of El Pardo.[1] It became an alternative residence of the kings of Spain until the reign of King Alfonso XII of Spain, who died in the palace in 1885.[2]
King Henry III of Castile ordered the building of a small castle in 1406, on Mount El Pardo, because of its abundant game. In the 1540s, on the orders of EmperorCharles V, it was transformed into a palace by the architect Luis de Vega, who built a small, traditional alcázar with a moat. The palace was completed by Philip II, who introduced Flemish-style slate roofs.[3]
On 13 March 1604, a massive fire destroyed many of the paintings the palace housed, including masterpieces by Titian. Phillip III entrusted the rebuilding of the palace to Francisco de Mora.[4] Philip continued his father's decorative ideas, commissioning a number of frescoes. Philip V lived there for three months a year during the winter, and altered the palace to accommodate the court.[3]
In 1739 the palace hosted talks between the governments of Great Britain and Spain, who eventually agreed to the Convention of Pardo in a bid to avert a war. However, the Convention failed to prevent the War of Jenkins' Ear from breaking out shortly afterwards.
Since 1983, the building has been used as a residence for visiting heads of state.[4] When not in use by guests, it is open to the public. Objects on display include tapestries made by the Royal Factory of Santa Bárbara in Madrid. Goya was one of the artists who designed tapestries for the palace with dimensions corresponding to specific locations in the building.[5][6]
