The stables of the ancient Alcazar were situated in the space now occupied by the large Armoury Court; those of the present palace were built in the reign of Charles III., in accordance with the plans and under the direction of the notable architect, Francisco Sabatini. The plan of the edifice is an irregular polygon, the longest side of which, at the Cuesta de San Vicente, is nearly 700 feet in length. The principal façade is in the Calle Bailen, and is adorned by a simple granite portal, over which are the royal arms. This door leads to a fine court surrounded by arches, and on the west side is a small chapel, dedicated to St. Anthony, Abbot. The principal part of these buildings consists in the large and magnificent galleries, sustained by double rows of pillars, which constitute the stables. These consist of a spacious stable for the horses used by royalty. There is another stable for Spanish horses, another for foreign horses and mares, and yet another for mules. More than three hundred animals can be accommodated in the stables. There are at present one hundred saddle-horses, all of which, with the exception of sixty foreign animals, come from the royal stud at Aranjuez. The general harness-room is a large nave, consisting of three halls. Preserved in many cases are the magnificent sets of harness and saddles, the liveries of footmen and coachmen, crests, fly-traps, whips and ancient horse-cloths, bridles, and other curiosities. The Royal Riding School is built on one of the esplanades facing the Campo del Moro. In order to form some idea of the size of the edifice, it may be mentioned that, besides the coach-houses, stables, harness-rooms, etc., there are apartments for the accommodation of the six hundred and thirty-seven people and their families who are employed in this department of the palace. The Royal Coach-house is situated in the Campo del Moro. Its plan is a rectangular parallelogram, the longest sides of which are 278 feet in length, and the shortest 101 feet. This great coach-house was built in the time of Ferdinand VII., after the design and under the direction of the architect Custodio Moreno, who gave to the exterior a simple and severe appearance. In this department are twenty splendid State carriages, which are only used on special occasions, among them being that of Juana _the Mad_, restored a few years since, and one hundred and twenty-one carriages of all kinds and shapes for daily use.