Senate Palace

Located next to the Plaza de España, this building was formerly an Augustinian convent and later became the Senate Palace in 1835. From 1931 to 1977, various political events led to the building being used for other purposes. The Republican regime abolished the Senate, and during the Franco regime, the building housed the National Council of the Movement until, with the return of democracy, it once again became the Senate Palace. The building has undergone many renovations since 1820, when the architect Isidro González Velázquez transformed the church floor plan into a session hall and remodeled the interior in a Neoclassical style. Between 1844 and 1850, Aníbal Álvarez Bouquel carried out a complete renovation of the interior, in addition to constructing a new Neoclassical façade. In 1882, it was renovated again by Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso, who removed all elements from the building that recalled its previous religious use and built a magnificent library and reading room. Finally, in 1987, it was decided to expand the complex by adding a new building, designed by the architect Salvador Gayarre, and inaugurated by King Juan Carlos I in 1991. Since 2008, the building that housed the convent and church of the Reparadoras has been part of the Senate's facilities, which purchased it to expand its premises and provide specific rooms for the autonomous communities. However, due to the economic crisis and the lack of budgetary stability, the adaptation work could not be carried out. The Senate expansion project was resumed in February 2020.