Fernán Núñez Palace

The Palace was begun in the Neoclassical style by the 1st Duke of Fernán Núñez in 1790. Its current configuration is the result of remodeling carried out by the Count of Cervellón, husband of the 1st Duke of Fernán Núñez's daughter, with the aim of making it one of the most outstanding residences in mid-19th-century Madrid. It is located on Calle Santa Isabel, near Atocha Station, and since 1985 has been the headquarters of the Spanish Railways Foundation. This palace has survived to the present day in perfect condition, retaining its original furniture, lamps, and decorations, as if frozen in time. Its sumptuousness and grand style have made it, for more than seven decades, a magnificent setting for period films and television series.

The renovation primarily affected the interior, where the original building was adapted to the prevailing Romantic style of the time.

The palace is divided into two areas: the main building and the service and stables. The main building, which is the best preserved, is decorated with a wealth of carpets and tapestries from the Royal Factory of Santa Bárbara, some replicas of Goya cartoons, as well as marquetry on floors and ceilings, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, silk fabrics, marble, bronze, furniture with a profusion of gilding, and other luxuriously crafted elements. Among the most significant rooms in the Palace are the Reception Courtyard with the main staircase, the Stucco Room, the Yellow Room and the Loggia, the Red Room (main office), the Ballroom, the Isabeline Room, the Main Dining Room, the Children's Dining Room, and the Walnut Staircase. The garden and greenhouse are also noteworthy. [Photograph of the Duchess of Fernán Núñez] In addition, since June 2025, the Palace has permanently displayed an album of photographs of the Duke and Duchess's guests at a costume ball held at the Palace in February 1884, with attendees including King Alfonso XII and Queen María Cristina, the Infantas, the Marchioness of Cerralbo, and the Duchess of Alba. The album, donated to the Foundation by the Elecox company, consists of 84 original photographs by Fernando Debas Dujant and narrates one of the most important social events in late 19th-century Madrid, according to all the chronicles of the time. [The Spanish Railways Foundation organizes guided tours of the building.]