Real Casa de la Aduana, Historic customs building in Centro district, Madrid, Spain
The Real Casa de la Aduana is a large building on Calle de Alcalá in Madrid, designed by Francesco Sabatini and nearly finished by 1769. Its grey stone ground floor has banded masonry and a tall arched doorway with dark wooden doors; above, red brick rises in regular bays of stone-framed windows topped by pediments, with a projecting coat of arms and dormer windows under a tiled roof.
The Italian architect Francesco Sabatini designed this building in 1769 as the primary customs center for the Spanish monarchy. Its architectural features were shaped by its role in managing royal trade and tax collection throughout the kingdom.
The building now serves as Spain's Ministry of Economy and Treasury, continuing its function as a center for managing national financial matters. Its location and design reflect how important the monarchy considered trade and tax collection.
The building is located on Calle de Alcalá and is readily accessible by Madrid's public transportation system. Visitors should note that it functions as a government office, so access to the interior may require advance arrangements or guided group visits.
The 1944 wing replaced the demolished Palacio de Torrecilla, and its architect Miguel Durán Salgado reused that palace's 1730 facade to blend the addition with Sabatini's original. Two extra storeys added earlier were set back from the street line so they stay invisible from Calle de Alcalá.
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