Round-Trip Luxury in the Palaces of Valsaín and La Granja II

Ricardo A. Fernández will give an introduction and a brief presentation of the agenda for this educational conference on the topic: “The luxury back and forth in the palaces of Valsaín and La Granja,” during the historical period of the Carrera de Indias.

Maria Jesús Callejo. Professor at the Higher School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

The Royal Palace of La Granja would not exist without the earlier existence of the Valsaín palace, so we will honor it as it deserves.

Since the Middle Ages, the Valsaín valley, its forests, and its rivers have been a resting place for the kings of Castile, who built a hunting lodge near the Eresma River that would eventually become the majestic House of the Forest of Segovia, where many important historical events took place, some of which had a global impact.

In this talk, Dr. María Jesús Callejo will amaze us with the impressive history of the Valsaín palace from the Middle Ages to the present. She will begin with a hypothetical reconstruction of the House of the Forest in the Middle Ages, along with its interior distribution according to the ceremonial and protocol of the Trastámara dynasty. Then, she will explore the transformation of the building into a Renaissance palace and the interior changes according to the Burgundian court etiquette. Finally, we will learn about its decline starting in the 17th century.

María Jesús Callejo is a Doctor in Philosophy and Letters, Section of Art, from the Complutense University of Madrid. She is a tenured professor of Art History at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid (U.P.M.), a professor of the Master’s degree in “Gardening and Landscaping” (U.P.M.), and a full member of the Royal Academy of History and Art of San Quirce in Segovia.

Iván Sanz Gallego. Art History Graduate

The decline of the Valsaín palace is marked by the arrival of a new dynasty: the Bourbons. The first Bourbon monarch to reign in Spain, Philip V, commissioned the construction of a new palace near Valsaín. Along with his court of servants, ministers, military figures, and ecclesiastics, Philip V brought French customs to his new country. A new court etiquette, new tastes, and an overwhelming level of luxury and refinement, all in the image and likeness of the Palace of Versailles, where he had been born and spent his childhood in the shadow of his grandfather, Louis XIV.

The Royal Site of La Granja would become his much-desired Versailles, with lavish rooms, vast gardens, and enormous fountains featuring unprecedented water displays in the austere lands of Castile. A baroque palace designed to glorify not only his figure, but also that of his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and of course, the new reigning dynasty.

Iván Sanz Gallego is a professor at the Maristas School in Segovia, as well as a well-known dulzainero (traditional Spanish woodwind musician) in the province of Segovia and beyond.

Cinta Krahe. PhD in History. Professor of Oriental Art at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

We are fortunate to have an exceptional collection of Asian art at La Granja.
Isabel de Farnese, the second wife of Philip V, was born in Parma. She grew up in a cultured and refined environment, deeply immersed in a passion for the arts, which led her to become a great collector of statues, paintings, fans, snuffboxes, and porcelain. Isabel de Farnese personally took care of the decoration of the Palace of La Granja, where, in addition to the paintings and sculptures from her private collection, she gathered an impressive collection of porcelain from various origins, acquired through commercial transactions, personal gifts, and diplomatic presents. These exquisite porcelains traveled tens of thousands of kilometers over many years, through Spanish maritime routes and complicated land journeys, until they arrived at our palace.

Cinta Krahe Noblett holds a PhD from Leiden University, a Master’s in Art and Archaeology of China from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and a degree in Geography and History from the Complutense University of Madrid. She is a professor of Oriental Art at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. With an extensive curriculum, she is currently part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists working on the publication of the book titled Ceramics in the Paintings of the Museo Nacional del Prado and is also writing a new book on Oriental Taste in 18th Century Spain.

Celia Alegre. Renowned National Recreator.

It may come as a surprise that, after silver, the second most important product aboard the ships of the Carrera de Indias was the new dyes that arrived from those lands. These products completely transformed fashion in Spain and, consequently, in Europe.

If today fashion is one of the most significant economic drivers of our country, during the Golden Age, it was even more so. In this talk, we will explore the importance of clothing from economic, social, political, and religious perspectives in 17th-century Spain. An astonishing journey through the garments worn during that era and Spain’s pivotal role in promoting luxury fashion, and how the “Spanish style” of dress became dominant throughout the continent. Additionally, this talk will include a surprise that we won’t reveal just yet…

Celia Alegre is a leading expert on fashion from the Golden Age of Spain. A scholar of 16th and 17th-century attire, she has completed various courses at UNED, Complutense University, and the Museum of Costume in Madrid. In addition to her work as a historical reenactor, her experience as a designer of historical costumes has led her to deliver lectures, participate in colloquiums, and organize exhibitions on Spanish fashion from this period. She has been awarded the Best Costume award in the Moratalaz and Hortaleza competitions. She has curated several costume exhibitions, receiving a mention from the Museum of Costume for her work at El Escorial, titled “The Clothing and the Secrets of Intimacy.”

Paloma Pastor Rey de Viñas. Director of the Royal Glass Factory Museum of La Granja.

The Royal Glass Factory was built in 1727 by order of Philip V.
Thanks to diplomatic efforts, the most important glass experts of the time were brought to La Granja from major glass factories in Central Europe, and glass production began here.
Between the 1750s and 1780s, it was decided to export this product to the American viceroyalties. Up to five shipments of glass were made.
The glass was packed with great care. The fragile goods were sent from La Granja, passing through valleys and mountains on the complicated roads of the time, until they reached the bustling city of Cádiz. Once at the port, the boxes were loaded onto ships to embark on their journey to the Indies. Some of these valuable goods arrived safely, while others, showing the challenges of the Carrera de Indias, were shipwrecked and sank to the bottom of the ocean, where they still await rescue and study.

Paloma Pastor Rey de Viñas holds a PhD in Geography and Art History from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. She is a member of the International Committee of Glass Museums (ICOM-Glass) and the director of the Royal Glass Factory Museum. She has written various articles and contributed to numerous publications, always related to glass.