| Patrimonio Nacional | |
The Spanish Royal Crown, symbol of Patrimonio Nacional
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | May 12, 1865; 159 years ago (1865-05-12) (as Crown Heritage) March 7, 1940; 84 years ago (1940-03-07) (as National Heritage) |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Type | Autonomous agency |
| Jurisdiction | Spanish government |
| Headquarters | Royal Palace of Madrid |
| Employees | 1.231 (2020)[1] |
| Annual budget | €149 million, 2023[2] |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent department | Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes |
| Website | Web Site |
Patrimonio Nacional (English: National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal Family as residences and for State Ceremonies. The Patrimonio Nacional includes palaces, gardens, monasteries and convents, called the Royal sites. When not in official use, the Royal sites are open to the public. It also manages the official and holiday residences of the Prime Minister.
The agency was first created in 1865 during the reign of Isabella II under the name of Patrimonio de la Corona (English: Heritage of the Crown). During the reign of her grandson, Alfonso XIII, it was also known as Patrimonio Real (English: Royal Heritage). The second republic (1931–1939) kept the agency under the name of Patrimonio de la República ,(English: Heritage of the Republic), and in 1940, dictator Francisco Franco renamed it to Patrimonio National, the current name.
Patrimonio Nacional organizes temporary exhibitions and concerts in the Royal sites. It also publishes catalogues of the Royal Collections, books on the Royal sites, facsimiles of some of the books held in the library of El Escorial and the Royal Library, visitors guides to the different sites as well as the official photographs of the King of Spain. It also publishes a quarterly magazine, Reales Sitios, about the art collections and cultural history of the Royal sites.
The Royal Family has other palaces that are not controlled by Patrimonio Nacional.
In addition to the exhibitions that Patrimonio Nacional carries out in the different Royal Sites, the agency administers a museum opened in 2023, the Royal Collections Gallery, destined to exhibit the heritage accumulated by the Spanish Monarchy for centuries.
The National Heritage is managed by the Board of Directors of the agency which, according to Act 23/1982, is composed by a Chairperson and a Manager appointed by the Monarch, with the advice of the Prime Minister; and thirteen members of renowned reputation, including two city councilors of towns where properties of Patrimonio Nacional are located (currently the cities of Madrid and Palma) and two members from museums and cultural institutions of recognized prestige and international projection.[3]
The agency is structured through a central and a decentralized one:[4]
The central structure is integrated by:[4]
The territorial or decentralized structure is integrated by the Board' delegations in palaces, monasteries and other properties and organizations.[4]
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