About this place
Ramiro I, First King of Aragon is a stone statue standing in Madrid, on the northern side of Plaza de Oriente, right next to the Royal Palace. It depicts Ramiro I, the first king of Aragon (reigned 1035–1063), and forms part of a long row of royal statues that line the square in front of the palace.
Where exactly is the statue located?
The figure stands on Plaza de Oriente, among a series of statues arranged along both sides of the square, close to the Sabatini Gardens and the entrance to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real). It's one of the easiest landmarks to spot while walking between Almudena Cathedral and the palace — a natural stop on any walk through this part of central Madrid.
Why are there so many king statues here?
The story behind the whole series is more interesting than it looks at first glance. The statues of Spanish monarchs — including Visigothic kings and early Christian rulers from the Reconquista period — were commissioned in the mid-18th century, during the reign of Ferdinand VI. They were carved from limestone, each standing over two and a half metres tall.
The original plan was to place them along the balustrade of the Royal Palace roof, but they never made it there. According to a long-standing story, Queen Isabel de Farnesio dreamed that an earthquake would topple all the statues from the palace roof onto her, and that dream is said to have changed the plans. Instead of decorating the palace façade, the statues were scattered across different parts of Madrid: some went to the Sabatini Gardens, others to Plaza de Oriente, Retiro Park, the area around Puerta de Toledo, and El Capricho park.
How did the Ramiro I statue end up on Plaza de Oriente?
The statues we see on the square today — including Ramiro I — were placed there in 1927, when twenty figures were arranged in two rows of ten: five Visigothic kings and fifteen monarchs from the early Christian kingdoms of the Reconquista. In 1941 the statues were moved to their current position, in the spot where a monument to Philip IV had previously stood.
Who was Ramiro I?
Ramiro I was born before 1007 and died in 1063. He was the first ruler of the independent Kingdom of Aragon, taking the throne in 1035 and governing it until his death. His statue on Plaza de Oriente represents this chapter of Spanish history — the emergence of Christian kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula during the Reconquista — standing alongside other rulers of the same era.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is the Ramiro I statue in Madrid? On Plaza de Oriente, on the northern side of the square, near the Royal Palace and the Sabatini Gardens.
Why aren't the king statues on the palace they were made for? They were meant to decorate the Royal Palace façade, but according to a popular story, Queen Isabel de Farnesio feared they could fall in an earthquake, so they were distributed to other locations around Madrid instead.
Who was Ramiro I and when did he reign? He was the first king of Aragon, ruling from 1035 to 1063.
Is it worth stopping to see this statue while visiting Madrid? Yes — it's a quick, free stop while walking around the Royal Palace, easy to combine with a visit to the palace itself and Almudena Cathedral.
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