Aldovea Palace is from XVIII century and is located 25 km from Madrid. It is a very special place to hold events, with a capacity of 1000 pax.
History
Aldovea is a luxurious palace of the XVIII century, located just 25 km from the center of Madrid, in Finca Aldovea  de San Fernando de Henares. This is an ideal place for a great wedding or any substantial event – the palace complex includes not only beautiful buildings, but also magnificent gardens. Just 500 meters from the palace is the picturesque river Henares. The palace is located in the Regional Park in the southeast of Madrid – just a few steps across the territory – and you find yourself surrounded by landscapes in the style of Italian Tuscany.
Originally, Aldovea was a medieval castle built in the late 11th or early 12th century, with powerful walls and fortifications. In the XVIII century, Luis de Bourbon, brother of King Carlos III and son of Felipe V and Isabel de Farnesio, ordered to turn the ancient fortress into a beautiful palace, which was done by the architect Virgilio Raballo. In the XIX century, Manuel Godoy, a famous politician of that time, favorite of Queen Maria-Louise, bought a palace from the Archbishop of Toledo and sold it to the Spanish Crown. In 1869, the palace was up for auction and then moved into private hands. At present, it belongs to the family of Figueroa Melgar, descendants of the Duke de Tovar. The palace is recognized as part of the cultural and historical heritage of Spain.
In full harmony with the traditions and style of the castle is the kitchen – the newlyweds and their guests are offered a wide selection of snacks and special dishes (at their choice) based on French and Mediterranean cuisine. The team of chefs is headed by Miguel Angel Amo – a well-known master who specializes in preparing dishes for the weddings, his record includes more than 1000 exquisite wedding banquets.
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The Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares (Spanish: Palacio Arzobispal de Alcalá de Henares) is a palace located in Alcalá de Henares, in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It is now home to the Diocese of Alcalá de Henares. It is located in the Plaza del Palacio and this form part of the monumental set declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The building complex dates from 1209. Two thirds were destroyed in a devastating fire in 1939, during the Spanish Civil War. The part of the building which is preserved is what is left intact after the 1939 fire, the damaged parts were not restored.
In this building came to reside different Castilian monarchs, were held synods and councils, and in here were born the youngest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs and future queen of England, Catherine of Aragon, and the German Emperor Ferdinand, son of Joanna "the Mad". In addition, it is famous for being the place where was performed the first meeting between the Catholic Monarchs and Christopher Columbus.
History
First it was a Mudéjar fortress commissioned in 1209 by Archbishop Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada (1209-1247), as a temporary residence of the archbishops of Toledo (Alcalá belonged to the archdiocese) and hence its name. It has suffered several fires and destructions, and has been remodeled several times to the present.
In the Archbishop's Palace were held the Courts in 1348 and was enacted the Ordinance of Alcalá, in that was unified the administration of justice to all the lands that formed the Crown of Castile.
In 1308 the kings Ferdinand IV of Castile and James II of Aragon met here to agree and sign the Treaty of Alcalá de Henares by which were distributed the territories obtained to al-Andalusian Taifas during the Reconquista.
Also in the 14th century, Archbishop Pedro Tenorio (1377-1399) rebuild the building fortifying it. He built a parade courtyard, rectangular, of more than 2 hectares. Surrounded by a walls with 21 towers; all rectangular less the albarrana of pentagonal, and the attached to it a semicircular plan. Currently are 16 towers, highlighting the "Tower of Tenorio" nominated in memory of the Archbishop.
In the 15th century, Archbishop Juan Martínez Contreras (1423-1434) build the east wing, decorated with large Gothic windows, the Anteroom and Hall of the Councils. The latter two were connected by a large túmido arc (in pointed horseshoe), and covered by a formidable Gothic-Mudéjar coffered ceiling.
On 20 January 1486, here was held the first interview between the queen Isabella I of Castile with Christopher Columbus to finance the trip to the Indies.
In 1524 Archbishop Alonso de Fonseca y Ulloa (1523-1534) commissioned to the architect Alonso de Covarrubias the construction of the west wing, with its courtyards and its magnificent staircase. His successor, Cardinal Juan Pardo de Tavera (1534-1545), finish the work.
Throughout its existence it housed in its inside the archives of the diocese of Toledo. Subsequently, its facilities were used for the custody of the Notary Clerks and the Judicial revenue. And from 1858 to 1939 was the Central General Archive of Alcalá de Henares.
Given the saturation of the Archivo de Simancas and its distance to the Court of Madrid, was determined the creation of the Central General Archive in 1858 in the Archbishop's Palace after its assignment to the State for this purpose by Archbishop Cirilo de Alameda y Brea (1857-1872).
This Archive received documents from the ministries and agencies suppressed following the reform of 1834. After the regulatory deadlines it forwarded the documents to the National Historical Archive, until on August 12, 1939 a fire destroyed the Central General Archive. Its successor, from 1969 is General Archive of the Administration (AGA), also in Alcalá de Henares.
Currently, from 1991, it is the seat of Bishopric of Alcalá de Henares, and residence of the bishop.
Disastrous fire of 1939
The Archbishop's Palace was barracks of tanks and ammunitions, both during and after the Civil War, when, for the failure to prevent flammable materials that were there there was a big fire. It was not the first suffered in its long history, but one of the most voracious, because it destroyed much of the buildings and of the documentation kept there three centuries.
Among the artistic treasures that were lost in the Archbishop's Palace are: the Mudéjar coffered ceiling of the Hall of Councils, the monumental staircase of Covarrubias -author of the façade-, the courtyard of Fonseca, the courtyard of the Hallelujah, the facade of the courtyard of the Ave Maria, paintings, and the first archaeological museum of the city.
The building
The building has undergone numerous constructions and rehabilitations, being especially devastating the fire of August 11, 1939, which destroyed two thirds of its structure: three courtyards ("the Fonseca" or "the Covarrubias", "the Hallelujah" and the "of the Fountain" or the "Small garden"), the "Staircase of honor", the "Facade of the Ave Maria", which was of Herrerian style and the "Garden of the Vicar". A rehabilitation of the less damaged parts was completed in 1996 and was necessary.
Currently has 16 towers, highlighting the "Tower of Tenorio". Entering through the parade courtyard, appears the Renaissance main facade of the building. It is divided into two bodies, being the low of ashlar, with two floors of Plateresque windows that joins an upper gallery of gemanates arches. On the central window is a Baroque coat of terracotta, which replaced the imperial of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The blazon is of the Cardinal-Infante Luis Antonio of Bourbon, son of Philip V, first Bourbon replacing the Habsburg dynasty. This courtyard is closed at south by a cast iron grille, made in Belgium in the 19th century.
In the east wing, where was the "Hall of Councils", was done in the 19th century a major restoration in its exterior and interior by Juan José Urquijo y Manuel Laredo, following the Neo-Mudéjar style. In 1997 was opened the restored neo-Gothic chapel that replaces the missing Hall of Councils. In the lower floor has made a modern auditorium, replacing the "Hall of the Queen Isabella".
Antiquarium museum
In the Archbishop's Palace it were again rebuilt several parties burned, others were restored, and still continue rescuing parts of those gems. Through the Tower XIV it can access the Antiquarium and visit some of those aforementioned remains, which have recreated partially the galleries of the Ave Maria, the large Courtyard of Fonseca and the Staircase of Covarrubias.
For decades held in Alcalá the representation outside of the play "Don Juan Tenorio" by Zorrilla, in several Alcalá's monuments, and one of it is always the Archbishop's Palace, even some year has staged exclusively there.
The Antiquarium is an outdoors museum placed in the inside of the walled enclosure and accessible through the fourteenth tower.
Toponymy
The Archbishop's Palace owes its name to that Alcalá de Henares for eight hundred years belonged to the jurisdiction of the archbishops of Toledo, who were also the primates -the most preeminents- of all Spain, and that here had their residence. This made that Alcalá de Henares was always at the center of religious power, which for centuries was also synonymous with the political.
Historical people
Monarchs that born, lived and died in the Archbishop's Palace
In the Archbishop's Palace also lived many members of the Court and was killed the Castilian King John I in 1390, after falling off his horse nearby. Other monarchs used it as a temporary residence, for example, the Catholic Monarchs, so here was born their daughter Catherine of Aragon (who would be queen of England as wife of Henry VIII of England). Here in this Archbishop Palace too was born Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Joanna the Mad and German emperor as successor of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (I of Spain).


Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares

This monument located in the Barajas district is classified as singular by the PGOUM (General Town Planning Project for Madrid). It is one of the scarce remains of military architecture from 15th century and one of few castles that have survived the passage of time and now arises once more after a painstaking restoration process and being converted into a museum.  
The place where the Castillo de la Alameda stands (Barajas) is a space that represents all the stages of history of this territory, located between Madrid and the Jarama valley. Beneath it and its surroundings, there are remains of ancient settlements reaching from the Bronze Age to the Roman era. It is currently incorporated into the “Museums of Madrid” system, where activities and workshops for schoolchildren take place in summer.

Alameda Castle

El castillo de Viñuelas es un palacio fortificado de la Comunidad de Madrid (España). Se encuentra en el término municipal de Madrid, dentro del espacio natural protegido del Soto de Viñuelas, integrado en el Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares.
Aunque sus primeras referencias se sitúan en el año 1285, la construcción actual data de los siglos XVII y XVIII. El edificio presenta transformaciones, realizadas en el siglo XX, para su acondicionamiento como lugar de celebraciones y convenciones. Tanto el castillo como el monte que lo rodea están en manos privadas.
Historia
La historia del castillo de Viñuelas se vincula a la del monte homónimo, un encinar adehesado de gran valor cinegético. Existen referencias de una edificación primitiva que datan de 1285, año en el que el rey Sancho IV de Castilla hizo donación de estas tierras a García López de Saavedra y a los hijos de Ruy Sánchez.
En el siglo XIV, el monte y el edificio pasaron a manos de Leonor Núñez de Guzmán, amante de Alfonso XI. La Orden de Santiago y el Marqués de Santillana fueron los siguientes propietarios. A través de este último, el paraje quedó adscrito al Real de Manzanares.
En el siglo XVI, la titularidad de la finca y del castillo recayeron sobre el emperador Carlos I, que, con objeto de recaudar dinero para la corona, se la vendió a Arias Pardo de Saavedra, mariscal de Castilla, por 42 cuentos y 24.572 maravedíes, además de 3.000 de renta anual y 7 corderos al año.
Después de varias ventas, la propiedad pasó a la marquesa de Mejorada y de la Braña, quien mandó construir, en el año 1697, las cuatro torres angulares que esquinan el cuerpo principal del castillo. En el siglo XVIII, la Corona Española volvió a hacerse con el encinar y el edificio. Carlos III impulsó diferentes reformas en el castillo, a las que siguieron las mejoras realizadas por Carlos IV.
En el siglo XIX, el duque del Infantado compró la finca, tras haber sido subastada durante la Primera República Española. A él se debe la incorporación de un salón gótico, compuesto de la capilla mayor de la iglesia del monasterio de San Francisco de Cuéllar (Segovia), monumento del que adquirió además las ventanas que muestran el apostolado y la crestería que remata el tejado, además de los escudos con las armas de la Cueva, Mendoza y Toledo y la gran cruz de piedra que decoran el exterior. También trasladó diferentes elementos desde el castillo de Manzanares el Real (Madrid).
En 1939, el arquitecto Diego Méndez se encarga de la reconstrucción y adaptación del castillo para residencia del dictador Francisco Franco, obra que realizó en sólo tres meses. El castillo fue la residencia de Franco hasta 1940 cuando se trasladó al Palacio de El Pardo.
Características
El castillo es de planta cuadrada y tiene tres alturas. Posee cuatro torres cilíndricas almenadas, una en cada esquina, que superan el alto del cuerpo principal, mediante una planta adicional.
La fachada principal, orientada al norte, destaca por su ornamentación. Integra un panel superior central, en el que aparece un escudo, y presenta un balcón corrido en la primera planta. Éste se apoya sobre diferentes columnas, que dan lugar a un pórtico. A ambos lados, se levantan dos garitas rematadas con chapiteles.
La Sala de Armas es la estancia de mayor valor monumental del interior.