This Friday and Saturday, Congress will celebrate the twenty-seventh edition of its Open Days in which the elections of June 15, 1977 will be commemorated, the first after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco and which gave rise to the Constituent Cortes. Since Open Doors began to be held in 1997, this is the third time that the Lions Gate has been opened to citizens in the month of June, after those in 2006 and 2007. The visit includes a exhibition dedicated to the first elections of the current constitutional period, which shows, among other elements, the electoral posters that are preserved in the Chamber Archive. MICROTEATER DURING THE VISIT In addition, during the itinerary, visitors will be able to interact with different characterized characters, for example ushers, stenographers or journalists, who will offer microtheater performances inspired by the Chamber’s activity in 1977. Theatrics are carried out by the Chamber. from the company Forget It All. As usual, the Palace will be accessed through the famous bronze door, the work of José María Sánchez Pescador, which crowns the staircase of the main façade and which is only opened on the occasion of these days and when the King goes to Congress. After visiting the Lobby of Isabel II, where you can see a copy of the Constitution of 1812 guarded by the statue of the Queen, the tour continues in the Conference Hall, known as the Hall of the Lost Steps, where institutional visitors are received. and other events are celebrated such as the Constitution Day reception. Already in the hemicycle or Session Hall, in which the 350 seats of the deputies are distributed, visitors will be able to observe the decoration of the vault, with paintings by Carlos Luis de Ribera; and the fan skylight that lets natural light into the room where the Plenary Session of the Chamber meets. On both sides of the Presidency are the two large paintings, “The Oath of the Cortes of Cádiz” and “María de Molina presenting her son before the Cortes of Valladolid”, the caryatids, the stained glass windows, the large effigies of the Kings Catholics located on the front of the Hemicycle and all the details of this semicircular space. The visit continues to the first floor of the Palace and tours the gallery where the portraits of the presidents of the Congress of Deputies are exhibited, the work of some of the most relevant artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. PREVIOUS APPOINTMENT From there the tour continues through the Constitutional room, the Ernest Lluch room and the Cedaceros lobby, where you can see an exhibition organized by the Association of Parliamentary Journalists (APP). To be able to access the parliamentary offices – between 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. – it is necessary to reserve a place through the form open on the Congress website. People over 65 years of age may come without an appointment with a companion. The Conference can be followed live on the website and on the Parliament Channel, on YouTube. In addition, through publications on the institutional profiles of the Congress on social media, Instagram, Facebook and and about the elections of June 15, 1977. VIRTUAL TOUR People who cannot go to the Open Doors or want to discover in advance the rooms they are going to tour can do so through the virtual tour that allows each user to enter the Palace on a personalized guided tour in augmented reality. This tour gives the option to advance through the different rooms, observe the environment in 360 degrees, come closer to contemplate even the smallest detail of each room, find information about each of the paintings, sculptures and decorative works that make up the artistic heritage of the Congress and listen to the explanations provided by your virtual guide. The visit can also be carried out in augmented reality with VR (Virtual Reality) devices and is accessible for people with disabilities. The use of VR glasses allows users with movement limitations to move around the rooms and navigate through all the elements that provide additional information by fixing their gaze on the point they want to access.
