The Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza, a Mudéjar jewel declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has given new life to its star exhibition: ‘Goya, from the Museum to the Palace’. This exhibition, inaugurated in December 2024 in response to the temporary closure of the Zaragoza Museum for expansion work, has already surpassed 321,000 visitors in its first year, becoming one of the most notable cultural phenomena in Spain in recent times.
On January 16, 2026, the exhibition incorporated a new guest artwork that significantly enriches the narrative: the ‘Portrait of María Teresa de Vallabriga’, an oil on panel painted by Francisco de Goya in 1783 and coming from the Museo Nacional del Prado. Installed in the iconic Throne Room—a space specifically reserved for such temporary pieces—it replaces the portrait of her husband, Infante Don Luis de Borbón, which occupied the space until now. This is the fourth loan of this type in the exhibition, following works like the ‘Portrait of José de Cistué y Coll’ or ‘The Virgin with the Child’, a strategy that keeps the exhibition experience vibrant and dynamic, renewing interest every few months.
María Teresa de Vallabriga y Rozas (Zaragoza, 1759-1820), originally from Aragón like Goya himself, was a singular figure in the Spanish court of the 18th century. The daughter of a cavalry captain and the widowed Countess of Torres Secas, she became an orphan at a young age and moved to Madrid, where she received a refined education. At the age of 16, she entered into a morganatic marriage with Infante Don Luis Antonio Jaime de Borbón (brother of Carlos III), who was 32 years her senior, which relegated her to a secondary position at court and led her to a secluded life in Arenas de San Pedro (Ávila). From this union, four children were born, including Luis María (future Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo) and María Teresa (the famous Countess of Chinchón, also portrayed by Goya).
This profile bust portrait, executed quickly and delicately, captures the young Infanta with an elegant demeanor and an expression of sweet simplicity. Against a dark background, light focuses on her radiant youth, highlighting her rosy cheeks, subtle lips, and braided hair adorned with a blue silk bow. Goya employs swift yet meticulous brushstrokes, especially in the golden transparencies of the hairstyle and the white hairpiece over her shoulders, managing to convey remarkable intimacy and warmth. It is not incidental: the artist shared the Aragonese origin with his model, creating an evident connection in this early stage of Goya’s career as a court painter.
The work is a preparatory study from life for the large family portrait of the Infante (preserved in the Magnani-Rocca Foundation in Parma), painted during the summer of 1783 in Arenas de San Pedro. It pairs with the portrait of the husband (previously exhibited in Aljafería), and both look in directions that converge, creating a moving visual dialogue. A non-autographic inscription on the back (now lost) indicated that Goya executed it in just one hour on August 27, 1783, a fact that underscores the mastery and freshness of his technique in intimate portraits.
In the context of the exhibition, which chronologically traces Goya’s life and evolution—from his beginnings in Zaragoza and Italy, through the influence of the Bayeu, to his role as a royal portraitist and his religious production—this addition reinforces the focus on courtly portraits in the Throne Room. There it coexists with deposits from the Prado such as those of Carlos IV and María Luisa de Parma, or the Fernando VII from the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, interacting with the Mudéjar architecture of the palace and offering a unique immersive experience.
‘Goya, from the Museum to the Palace’ not only retrieves masterpieces from storage during the museum’s renovation (scheduled to reopen in 2026) but also transforms Aljafería into a living epicenter of Goya’s legacy. With this new guest from the Prado, the exhibition gains emotional depth and a connection to Aragón, reminding us that Goya, beyond his later dark visions, was also a master of tenderness and humanity in his private portraits.
For art and history enthusiasts, a visit to Zaragoza in these months is almost mandatory: the genius from Fuendetodos speaks directly to one of the most fascinating palaces in Europe.
