Casa Gallardo, Madrid

In the western corner of Plaza de Espana there is a luxurious white Art Nouveau building, one of the most important objects of Madrid architecture of the early 20th century. At the end of the 19th century, the center of Madrid was a medieval building and completely changed its appearance in the first decades of the 20th century. The massive palaces of the Spanish aristocracy were replaced by exquisite houses in the so-called Parisian style. In 1911, the sisters of the sisters Esperanza and Asunción Gallardo (Esperanza y Asunción Gallardo), decided to rebuild the mansion that previously belonged to the Marquis de Albaida family. The project was commissioned by Federico Arias Rey, the architect created a building that fully complies with the Parisian canons, without regional peculiarities. The construction was completed in 1914, and a year later the owners received the City Council prize for the most beautiful house. The facade of the building has many balconies with openwork cast-iron grilles and decorated with floral bas-reliefs. In the large dome crowning the corner of the building, you can see a large letter G, reminiscent of the last name of the owners. In 1997, the Gallardo House was declared an object of cultural interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC).