Royal Tapestry Factory (Fundación Real Fábrica de Tapices)

In 1721, the Royal Tapestry Factory was located in the old Abreviador house, next to Madrid's Puerta de Santa Bárbara, in what would now be the beginning of Calle Santa Engracia. In 1884, Alfonso XII gave the order to erect a new building, due to the continuous protests by the people of Madrid, who lived near the RFT. At that time, Madrid underwent urban remodeling, motivated by the Industrial Revolution. It was then that the RFT moved to the current headquarters at Fuenterrabía, 2, in the Retiro neighborhood. The Neo-Mudéjar building was selected within the Industrial Heritage Plan by the Spanish Historical Heritage Institute, and declared an Asset of Cultural Interest by the Community of Madrid in 2006. The merits for such recognition lie not only in the architectural interest of the property, but also in the fact that the building continues to fulfill the same functions for which it was originally created: the manufacture and restoration of high-quality textiles.