The Royal Palace of La Magdalena is the most emblematic building of Santander, does not have a definite style though he is catalogued like "eclectic picturesque", a mixture of English and French styles with incorporation of typical elements of the highland architecture. One finds placed in the peninsula of the same name, which has an extension of 28 hectares.

In 1908 the City Hall of Santander begins the construction of a Palace for the Kings. It was realized by the participation of all the people by means of a popular subscription. The architects Javier Gonzalez Riancho and Gonzalo Bringas Vega are the managers of realizing the project, which finished in 1912.

On August 4th, 1913 there takes place the arrival of His Majesties, to take possession of the new palatial residence. The Kings spend the summer in Santander for 17 consecutive years until 1930. Alfonso XIII finds in our city the best place to practise his favorite sports, wind and the hunt. Also he plays tennis and from 1915 with the inauguration of the Field of Pole, can practise this sport in La Magdalena. The Royal Caballerizas are from the same year.

 

The press was gathering daily the "Veraneo Regio" (“Royal Summer”), informing about the life and activities of the Royal Family who was frequenting the beaches of El Sardinero, famous internationally for the "Banos de Ola” (Bath of Waves). In this beach the Royal family installed

"La Caracola” (“The Shell"), a shed where the whole family was almost daily. While in the Palace there were celebrated numerous activities of great resonance and meetings with some Ministers' Councils

In the different summer visits The Kings inaugurate different official centers, as the Municipal Library or the Mercantile Bank and they were interested in the problems of the city, where also the Spanish aristocracy used to come to spend the summer. El Sardinero and the streets of around suffer a great transformation with the construction of villages and houses for these new people. Besides the Royal Hotel, the new Great Casino of El Sardinero, one of the most ancient of Spain and Bellavista's Racetrack that will turn into the center of leisure and culture of Santander in this epoch.

In the decade of the twenties the International Summer Courses of Santander were created and in 1932 the International University of Santander, this one was celebrating the courses at the Auditorium that was constructed for this effect and the Caballerizas remodelled as students' residence from 1933, his first rector was Menéndez Pidal.

 



In the courses there took part the most prestigious figures of the Spanish intellectuality of these years and apart from the teachers and lecturers, the guests were numerous, as don Miguel or Federico García Lorca. This last one was coming with his workshop of theatre “La Barraca” and had special resonance for his interpretations of the university theatre. These representations took place out of the Caballerizas..

After a parenthesis due to the Spanish civil war it is necessary to wait until 1949 in order that there are reinstalled in The Palace the Summer courses of the International University named from this date "Menéndez Pelayo" (UIMP).

In 1977 the City Hall of Santander by means of agreement with the Count of Barcelona recovered the Royal place of La Magdalena and from this date the park remains opened for the public, the most visited place of the city of Santander

In 1982 the palace was declared " historical artistic monument " and in December, 1993 they begin the works of rehabilitation of the buildings of La Magdalena. Works that were finished in 1995 and inaugurated by His Majesties Don Juan Carlos and Dona Sofía on June 14 of the same year. From this date La Magdalena is in use as Conference hall and Meetings though it continues preserving in its museum lounges and classrooms "el duende” (“the goblin") that are recognized by all those who visit them.