Palace of the Earl of Padul, Granada (Spain). A Milestone in A Crossroad

Abstract

The Palace of the Counts of Padul is the most emblematic building of Padul, Province of Granada in Spain, being one of the most remarkable of the region of the Valley of Lecrín. It is a building of undoubted historical value, declared of Cultural Interest, maximum level of protection of the Spanish legislation in historical heritage. In spite of this and being a symbol of Padul, citizen ignorance is generalized about its importance. It is a building of the first part of the XVII century. D. Antonio de Aróstegui y Zazo (knight of the Santiago order and a secretary of Felipe III) was its developer. He gives the building a noble character with an unusual design for this shire. It has an L shape floor, two floors and two squared towers standing out a third floor covered by a pitched roof. Load-bearing walls of masonry not carved stones, with carved stones corners. Deck built with logs, and bricks, and wooden roof truss. Looking like a solid simple house of civil architecture at the beginning of the Baroque style. Analysing the urban morphology of Padul, the uniqueness and large area of the plot that it occupies with respect to the rest of the urban plot is verified. It is also remarkable its relative position with respect to the historical roads that crossed here: The real road that came from Granada heading to the Alpujarras, and leading to Motril and the road that starting in Malaga crossed through Alhama and arrived at Padul. It is clear then, the function that had as a control post, having been a necessary passage towards the Lecrín Valley, the Alpujarras and the Mediterranean coast. Immediately after its declaration in 1981 as a National Monument, and despite this, it suffered an unfortunate intervention which has been maintained until today and that the City of Padul wants to revert with its acquisition. It is in this situation in which the invitation of the council government to the University of Granada is produced so that the students of Final of Grade Projects of the School of Building Engineering have it as a real object to work. By focusing our attention on this building, it is intended to preserve its valuable heritage, showing its history, proposing technical solutions that help to preserve its values, and finally, to make the Casa Grande popular for the residents of Padul and all visitors.