Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid

The Palacio de las Cortes is the seat of the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish parliament, in central Madrid. Completed in 1850 in a neoclassical style, its portico is guarded by two bronze lions cast from cannons captured in the African War. The building witnessed pivotal moments in modern Spanish history, including the 1981 attempted coup. Its debating chamber sits beneath a decorated ceiling, and free guided tours on Saturdays allow visitors to see the hemicycle and its historic assembly hall.