Historic events
I cross Mayor street and right in front of me, at building number 86, is the Abrantes Palace, built in the 17th century under the mandate of D. Juan de Valencia, (Top Spy of the Majesty’s Secret Council). Juan Maza was the architect in charge of its completion.
For centuries, ownership of the building changed between local nobles until 1842, when the Dukes of Abrantes bought it. They put Anibal Alvarez Bouquel in charge of carrying out renovations on the house. The dukes then sold it to Manuel Maria de Santa Ana, who proceeded to set it up as headquarters of the La Correspondencia de Espana newspaper. In 1888, it was sold to the Italian Governor, who set up his country’s embassy and once again renovated the building. This time, the decoration of the ceiling was changed to be a series of striking paintings. During the Spanish Civil War, from 1936 to 1939, the building was used as the barracks for the primary Italian members of the International Brigade. Once the conflict was finalized, the embassy was then moved to its current location on Juan Bravo Street and the palace has since been occupied by the Italian Institute of Culture.
