Casas a la malicia facts for kids
Casas a la malicia (meaning "malice houses") were a unique type of building in Madrid, Spain. They were built between the 1500s and 1700s. People used clever tricks in their construction to avoid a royal rule. This rule, called the Regalía de aposento, forced citizens to share their homes with officials from the king's court.
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Why were "Casas a la malicia" built?
In 1561, King Philip II moved his royal court to Madrid. Many nobles, officials, and other important people came with him. There weren't enough homes for everyone in the city.
So, the King created a rule called the "Regalía de aposento." This rule meant that every citizen had to give half of their house to house a royal official. Imagine having to share your home with a stranger! People didn't like this invasion of their privacy.
How did people avoid the housing rule?
To avoid sharing their homes, people came up with very smart building ideas. They used different construction tricks to make their houses look smaller or less suitable for sharing.
One trick was to make a two-story house look like it only had one floor from the street. The upper rooms were hidden from view. You could only reach them from inside the building. Another idea was to build only one floor. Some people also divided their homes into many small rooms. This made it hard for an official to take half of the space.
What if you couldn't host officials?
Even if people built "Casas a la malicia," they still had to pay a fee. This fee was a money payment instead of housing officials. It was often equal to about one-third of the rent their property could earn.
This payment system was complex. In 1749, a "General Visitation" tried to make it clearer. You can still see old tiles on some houses in Madrid's historic center. These tiles show how the rule affected the properties. This rule also led to detailed maps and property records being made.
See also
In Spanish: Casas a la malicia para niños
