Palacio de Fomento, Palace at Paseo de la Infanta Isabel, Madrid, Spain
The Palacio de Fomento is a rectangular office building on the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, opposite Atocha station. Its facade has a portico of eight paired columns with a frieze, topped by a bronze sculpture group. Two covered interior courtyards articulate the space inside.
Built between 1893 and 1897 to a design by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, the palace first housed the Ministry of Development and also the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts. In 1905 the marble sculpture group La Gloria y los Pegasos by Agustí Querol was placed on the roof; after damage in the Civil War and from weather, bronze replicas replaced it in 1976. It was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural on 24 November 1989.
The three bronze winged figures on the roofline are replicas of Agustí Querol Subirats's marble group La Gloria y los Pegasos, placed in 1905 and recast in bronze in 1976 after war damage and weathering. On the facade, José Alcoverro carved statues of Antonio de Ulloa and Jaime Balmes, alongside tile panels by Daniel Zuloaga and a coat of arms by Ricardo Bellver.
Guided tours of the interior run outside normal office hours; as of 2016 they were open to the public. The building faces Atocha railway station across Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, so it is easily reached on foot from the station. The main entrance sits behind the perimeter iron gates and railings protected along with the building since 1989.
The palace's construction prompted the creation of Cuesta de Moyano, a new street designed to separate the building from the Botanical Garden next to it. Today this street is known for its outdoor book stalls and small antique shops.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,997 contributors worldwide.
