Description

Founded in 1720 by Felipe V. It initially occupied an estate on the outskirts of Madrid, next to the Puerta de Santa Bárbara, from which it takes its name. The first Royal Factory was run by Jacobo Vandergoten and his family, who came from Antwerp. In 1734, his son Jacobo Vandergoten ‘the Younger’ inaugurated another factory that worked the more modern ‘alto lizo’ (high-warp). In the early years, Flemish models were followed.
At the end of the 19th century, the Royal Factory moved its activity to Fuenterrabía Street. The new building, built between 1881 and 1891, was designed by José Segundo de Lema in the neo-Mudejar style.