Palace Fúcares

One of the Renaissance architectural samples that have been bequeathed to us is this Palace-house, whose use and purpose has been the subject of many researches and interpretations. One of these theories was that it was built to store the mercury arriving from mines in Almadén, managed by the Fugger family.

Nevertheless, and according to recent researches, this building could have been the Palace-house of one of the collectors sent to Almagro by the Fugger in order to manage their businesses. The Fugger were moneylenders from the King Charles I. The main purpose why this was built would be a family house, whose spaces nowadays show the original distribution and elements that prove this theory, despite the different restorations carried out and a mistaken restoration process in 1983, according to local researchers.

This Fugger-palace, as it is popularly known, was built in the first half of 16^th century. It shows elements of the traditional Mudejar technique, synthesized with Renaissance architectural concepts. It is conceived as a big barrack house with a façade made up of bricks, tapial and rubble walling, material used at that time.

The building is organized around a central core formed by a squared courtyard and two corridors with brick arches supported by limestone columns. The decorative plasterwork in the hall, the stairs, and some of the rooms are outlined from the inside of the building. Its spaces were created to represent the social position of their inhabitants, and they are rounded off with coffered ceilings and skirting boards decorated with characteristic vegetal elements used in other Renaissance buildings, like the Palace of Viso del Marqués, another town in Ciudad Real.

The current entrance door of the building was added in the 17^th century. It accesses the hall just after the courtyard. It is one the most important examples of the Almagro Renaissance, as well as the Asuncion convent.

The building has had different uses since its construction, such as private home for the Bringas family. Later, a house where different families lived sharing a common courtyard, lace house, and middle school in the 1960’s. After its restoration it became part of the municipal administration in 1984, and started to host different cultural services, being the Universidad Popular one of its most important uses.

Opening hours:

- Opening hours may be subject to change without prior notice.