Pazo of the Counts of Maceda

It is located in Barón street, in the heart of the old town of Pontevedra, close to the medieval Burgo Bridge.

The building has its origin in a Roman villa. In the 16th century, the building was transformed into a Renaissance pazo.[1] In the 18th century, it became the property of the illustrious Counts of Maceda. Later, the property was passed on to the Marquis of Figueroa and Atalaya (also a count of Maceda) who filled it with antiques.

Coat of arms of the Palace

In the 19th century, the palace went into decline, and its uninhabited rooms were used as a sea salt warehouse and a school for poor children. It is even said that the building became a Masonic lodge. Later, it was transformed into a place where dozens of families lived. The Baron of Casa Goda, Eduardo de Vera y Navarro, put an end to this decadence, recovering its possessions and restoring much of its former splendour.[2] This is why the Parador de Turismo de Pontevedra is called Casa del Barón.

In the 20th century, the first floor of the palace became the headquarters of the Graduada Álvarez Limeses School and the second floor was used as a house,[3] being the family residence of the directors of this school until 1950, when the Pontevedra City Council became the owner.[4]

The building was refurbished as a luxury hotel managed by the Spanish State, becoming in January 1955 the first National Tourist Parador in Galicia.[5]

Portico

The pazo stands out for its imposing dimensions and stately ornamentation.[6]

On the outside, there is a neoclassical portico at the entrance to the building. The façade of the building, covered with a frieze of oval shapes, is decorated with coats of arms and is topped by a colonnade of four granite columns.[7] The palace has a crenellated tower added in the 18th century and a stone terrace. It also has a courtyard (originally designed for horses) and a garden.

Inside, there is large stone staircase, a Galician stone fireplace, and other baroque features. There are numerous drawing rooms. The building is decorated with antiques, tapestries, antique paintings, and classical and royal furniture.

The palace is now the Parador Casa del Barón in Pontevedra, a 47-room luxury hotel.[8][9]

King Felipe VI, the reigning king of Spain, used to spend the night here during his stay at the Spanish Naval Academy.[10]

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  Façade
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  Main facade from the stone terrace of the building
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  Partial view of the gardens
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  Gardens
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  18th century crenellated tower
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  Courtyard and small car park
• 
  View of the entrance gate
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  Interior
• 
  Side of the Pazo Casa del Barón
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  Parador plate
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  Portico from the inside
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  Parador gardens
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  Pond
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  Internal staircase
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  Gardens

• Aganzo, Carlos (2010). Pontevedra. Ciudades con encanto (in Spanish). Madrid: El País-Aguilar. pp. 81–82. ISBN 978-8403509344.
• Fontoira Surís, Rafael (2009). Pontevedra monumental (in Spanish). Pontevedra: Diputación Provincial de Pontevedra. p. 291. ISBN 978-84-8457-327-2.
• Riveiro Tobío, Elvira (2008). Descubrir Pontevedra (in Spanish). Pontevedra: Edicións do Cumio. p. 25. ISBN 9788482890852.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parador de Pontevedra (Palacio de los Condes de Maceda o Casa del Barón).

• Casa del Barón
• Spain Paradors – Casa del Barón