Pazo de Meirás facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pazo de Meirás |
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Main facade.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Revivalism |
| Location | Sada, Galicia, Spain |
| Construction started | 1893 |
| Completed | 1900 |
| Owner | Spanish State |
Pazo de Meirás is a large, old house, like a manor, located in Sada, Galicia, Spain. It was built a long time ago, in the 1800s, in a style that brought back older designs. This special house is most famous for being the summer home of Francisco Franco, who was a general and the leader of Spain for many years.
Contents
History of the Pazo
Building the Manor
The Pazo de Meirás as we see it today was started in 1893. It was first known as the Torres de Meirás. The house was built on the remains of an old fort. This fort was destroyed by French soldiers in 1809 during a war.
The land belonged to the Patiño family since the 1500s. Later, through marriage, it went to the Pardo de Lama family. Then, the famous writer Emilia Pardo Bazán inherited it.
Emilia Pardo Bazán's Home
Emilia Pardo Bazán made many changes to create the house's current look. She got married in the chapel there in 1868. After the changes, she spent over four months each year at the Pazo.
When she was there, she worked in a tower she called "the chimera tower." Her library was in this tower and is still there today.
After Emilia Pardo Bazán passed away in 1921, her son, Jaime Quiroga y Pardo Bazán, inherited the Pazo. In 1936, after Jaime and his son were killed, the house came under the control of his widow and Emilia's daughter. They tried to sell it to a religious group, but the sale did not happen.
Franco's Summer House
During the Spanish Civil War, in 1938, the Pazo was taken over by the Nationalist side. They wanted it to be a summer home for their leader, General Francisco Franco.
After the war ended, local people and the government wanted to honor Franco. They decided to buy the Pazo for him to use as the head of state. This meant it became Franco's personal property. To buy the house, money was collected from local workers, businesses, and government groups.
Who Owns the Pazo?
After Franco died, King Juan Carlos I gave Franco's wife, Carmen Polo, a special title: Señora de Meirás, meaning "Lady of Meirás." This title later passed to her grandson.
However, many people in Spain questioned who truly owned the Pazo. It was even discussed in Europe by a politician from Galicia.
In 2018, Spain's leader tried to take back the property. But lawyers said that the Pazo was legally given to Franco in 1938. They said an old law from 1982 could not be used to change this.
The Pazo Returns to Spain
Then, in September 2020, a judge made an important decision. The judge ruled that the Pazo had been given to Franco because he was the head of state, not as a personal gift. So, the judge ordered his family to return the Pazo.
Finally, on December 10, 2020, the Spanish government officially took back the Pazo. This happened after 82 years of it being in Franco's family.
Visiting the Pazo
The Pazo de Meirás was named a special heritage site in 2008. This means it is an important historical building. Because of this, the public was allowed to visit the building, but only sometimes.
For a while, tours were given by a group that supported Franco. This caused some debate. However, the tours continued.
When the Franco family had to leave the Pazo in December 2020, a government official said the Pazo would be used for education. It would teach people about the difficult times during Franco's rule.
In January 2021, the government announced that the outside areas of the Pazo might open to the public. However, due to the pandemic, only people from the local town of Sada could visit at first.
See also
In Spanish: Pazo de Meirás para niños
