Casita del Infante

The Casita del Infante is a historic building in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain, constructed as a private home for the Infante Gabriel of Spain, hence its name. The small residence was built during the late 18th century during the reign of his father Charles III of Spain. The Casita was built in an era where it was popular for nobles and Royalty to have a small "hideaway" to entertain informally; the most famous example of this is Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon.HistoryThe Casita was built near the Renaissance monastery-palace of El Escorial between 1771 and 1773. The building was designed in Neoclassical style by the prominent architect Juan de Villanueva whose best-known building is the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Villanueva also designed the Casita del Príncipe, the private residence of Gabriel's older brother Infante Charles, Prince of Asturias. The two "casitas" form a pair, with the Casita del Infante having the alternative name of the Casita de Arriba (the upper casita) indicating its position relative to the Casita del Principe.Patrimonial Nacional, the state agency for Spanish royal sites, is responsible for managing the property, which is open to the public. The gardens of the building were designed in the Italian style and still remain today even if they are slightly less lavish. Sadly, the original decoration has been lost; one ceiling can still be seen and was painted by Vicente Gómez; the ceiling shows the Four Seasons.