The salons and staircase
A marble staircase, gilded salons with painted ceilings and a ballroom — the part that justifies the visit and the part you cannot see from the street.
Palacio de Linares holds a corner of Plaza de Cibeles, and most walk past it to the fountain without knowing what is inside. The Marquis of Linares built it in the late 1800s on a family fortune made in trade and banking; since the early 1990s it has housed Casa de América, a cultural centre for Latin American programming. The value is inside, not on the facade: a marble staircase, gilded salons, painted ceilings, a ballroom and mosaics. Those rooms are seen only on a guided visit with limited places, while the exhibition halls and café are normally open without a ticket; come on a day with no tour and you get the exhibition, not the palace. The house also carries one of Madrid's best-known ghost stories: the legend has the marquis unknowingly marrying his own half-sister, and the ghost is their daughter. It is folklore, not history, but guides tell it as part of the building's reputation. If your time in Madrid is short, the Royal Palace and the Prado have the stronger claim; this suits a spare afternoon or a Paseo del Prado walk. Banco de España Metro (line 2) is at the door.
A marble staircase, gilded salons with painted ceilings and a ballroom — the part that justifies the visit and the part you cannot see from the street.
Rotating exhibitions, films and talks on Latin America, most of which you can walk into without a ticket.
It holds one corner of the square opposite the Cibeles Palace and the central bank, so it folds easily into a single Paseo del Prado walk.
No. The historic rooms open on guided visits on set days and times, places are limited, and tickets are sold at the information desk inside the building on the day rather than through the website; visits can also stop when an event takes over the building. The exhibition halls and café are normally open without a ticket, so turning up on a day with no tour gets you the ground floor and not the palace. Check the official site for the current days and times before you come.
If you only want one palace, the Royal Palace is bigger and richer and needs no guided tour. If you want to see how wealthy Madrid actually lived in a house kept with its furniture, the Cerralbo goes deeper and is easier to get into. Linares is the third option, for someone with spare time who is already at Cibeles — not a destination worth crossing the city for.
The legend says the marquis unknowingly married his own half-sister, and that the ghost is the daughter of that marriage, hidden away in the house. It is Madrid folklore rather than documented history, and guides tell it as part of the building's popular reputation. Treat it as a good story that adds colour to the visit, not as a reason to choose it.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet — be the first.
Paseo de Recoletos 2, 28001 Madrid