ROYAL PALACE, Armory

You can consider the Armory as part of your tour of the Royal Palace, as it occupies a side wing, even if the entrance is in the square in front of the palace.

Don't imagine a dusty museum full of military memorabilia: a good part of the weapons collected here are extraordinary works of art, such as highly prestigious pieces built during the sixteenth century by the master armorers of Milan.

Here you can admire one of the oldest, richest, and most complete collections of bladed weapons and firearms in the world. The collection's origins date back to Charles V, who laid down precise conditions in his will for the conservation of his weapons and armor after his death in 1558.

You'll definitely like the complete reconstruction of infantry and knights' armor, but if you go through the museum attentively you'll discover the evolution of weapons over the centuries. The richest section is from the end of the 1400s, which is the time when the "Catholic Kings" Ferdinand and Isabella (Charles V's grandparents) defeated the "Moors" who ruled the Arab kingdom of Granada in Andalusia, in the south of Spain. Here you can directly compare the weapons of the Christians and the Muslims....