- Dates
- 10 November 2025 to 28 February 2026
- When?
- Currently
- Link
- To know more
The Royal Tapestry Factory, founded by King Philip V in 1721, arose from the need for a high-quality tapestry manufacturing facility in Spain to supply the Crown with these sumptuous textiles for the decoration and furnishing of the Royal Sites. Philip V (Versailles, 1683–Madrid, 1746), the first Bourbon king of Spain, was named successor to the throne upon the death of Charles II without issue. Raised in the refined and luxurious environment of the court of Versailles, he inherited his grandfather Louis XIV's taste for the arts and, once in Spain, became a great collector and patron, commissioning the construction of new palaces and renovating existing ones. He also promoted and fostered industry and employment in Spain, establishing numerous Royal Factories to supply the Crown with manufactured goods, thus reducing reliance on imports. Faced with a lack of skilled master weavers, Jacobo Vandergoten, who arrived from Antwerp at the king's request, took charge of the Royal Tapestry Factory. He carried out the commissions requested by the Crown, always under its protection, although he soon expanded his clientele to include private individuals. Thus, the Royal Tapestry Factory developed a textile industry that has continued uninterrupted to this day, maintaining the age-old manufacturing processes and currently standing as an international benchmark for quality.
