Royal National Academy Of Medicine

On the upper section of the building is a sculptural group consisting of the Spanish coat of arms and two female allegorical figures symbolizing medicine and science.

Before reaching the stairs at the back of the hallway, there are two rooms: the Yellow Room (Salón Amarillo) on the right, and the Blue Room (Salón Azul) to the left. The stairs lead to the second floor, where the library is located.

In the Courtyard of Honor, there is a remarkable stained glass window made by the French manufacturer Mauméjean, and an impressive glass lampshade hanging over the center of the courtyard.

The door at the back leads to the Function Room (Salón de Actos).

This is the Courtyard of Honor on the day that the building was inaugurated on March 5, 1914. At that time, the floor was made of glass blocks, allowing light to filter through to the basement.

Immortalized here is the architect Luis Cabello, with his representatives, on the day of the inauguration.

The room is designed over two levels and can hold around 200 people. On the upper level are medallion portraits of the most famous scientists from every period.

Among the paintings overlooking the Function Room is a portrait of King Philip V, painted by Ramón Pulido.

The Function Room

This is the Function Room in 1916, during the formal reception ceremony when Professor Manuel Márquez Rodríguez was accepted as a full member of the Royal National Academy of Medicine, under the presidency of His Majesty King Alfonso XIII. At the presidential table, seated to his left were professors Cortezo (President of the Corporation) and Pulido, and to his right, professors Amalio Gimeno and Cortejarena.

Table from the formal inaugural session of the Royal National Academy of Medicine in 1915. Chaired by His Excellency Professor Carlos María Cortezo and the Minister for Public Education, Mr Collantes. February 1915.

The presidential arch is crowned with a representation of Athena (goddess of science and the arts), made from plaster or artificial stone with painted gold detail.

The ceiling in the Function Room is decorated with artistic stained glass made by the same manufacturer as the example in the Courtyard of Honor—Mauméjean.

Before entering the Function Room, the Academy's members would meet and talk in the room known as the Yellow Room.

It was designed, in conjunction with the facade, to make the most of the light entering through its five large windows, giving the library its grandeur.

This is the reading room in 1943. If you look closely, you will see that something has changed, besides just the chairs and tables. Look again at the previous image.

Cabello Lapiedra did not build any bookshelves because of a disagreement over the budget. In the end, the Jareño company designed and built them.

Besides the modernist lamps and other furniture in the reading room, the beautiful clock in the center of the room, made by Carlos Coppel, is particularly impressive.

In front of the reading room is a hallway that leads to other rooms within the library, where a large part of the library's stock of books is still kept.

Another of the rooms on this floor is the Government Room (Salón de Gobierno) which, as well as housing some of the books, is used by the Academy's members as a meeting room.