| Patrimonio Nacional | |
 TheSpanish Royal Crown, symbol of Patrimonio Nacional | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 12, 1865; 160 years ago (1865-05-12) (as Crown Heritage) March 7, 1940; 85 years ago (1940-03-07) (as National Heritage) |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Type | Autonomous agency |
| Jurisdiction | Spanish government |
| Headquarters | Royal Palace of Madrid |
| Employees | 1.231 (2020)[1] |
| Annual budget | €149 million, 2023[2] |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent department | Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes |
| Website | Web Site |
Patrimonio Nacional (English:National Heritage) is a Spanishautonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of theMinistry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by theMonarch and theroyal family as residences and for State ceremonies. The Patrimonio Nacional includespalaces,gardens,monasteries andconvents, called theRoyal sites. When not in official use, the Royal sites are open to the public. It also manages the official and holiday residences of thePrime Minister.
The agency was first created in 1865 during the reign ofIsabella II under the name ofPatrimonio de la Corona (English:Heritage of the Crown). During the reign of her grandson,Alfonso XIII, it was also known asPatrimonio Real (English:Royal Heritage). Thesecond republic (1931–1939) kept the agency under the name ofPatrimonio de la República ,(English:Heritage of the Republic), and it has been called by its current name since in 1940, when it was renamedPatrimonio National by the dictatorFrancisco Franco.
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 ofEl Escorial and the Royal Library, visitors guides to the different sites as well as the official photographs of theKing 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 thatPatrimonio Nacional carries out in the different Royal Sites, the agency administers a museum opened in 2023, theRoyal Collections Gallery, destined to exhibit the heritage accumulated by theSpanish 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 theMonarch, with the advice of thePrime Minister; and thirteen members of renowned reputation, including two city councilors of towns where properties of Patrimonio Nacional are located (currently the cities ofMadrid andPalma) 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]
