Before Madrid was considered the capital of Spain, the palace (Old Alcazar) was built by the Emir Muhammad I between years 860 and 880 with the purpose to protect the city from the Christians during the period called reconquest (711-1492). Charles I and his son Phillip II later converted the building to the primary residence of the monarchs. From 1537 until 1700 the building was renovated and expanded, but on Christmas Eve 1734 the Old Alcazar was destroyed by fire, and then demolished in 1738. Immediately started the construction of the new palace by Phillip V, but Charles III was the first monarch to live in the palace. In the twentieth century, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the building suffered some damage, but later was totally renovated. Currently the Palace is used for state ceremonies.
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