The PALACIO DE GAVIRA’s past

Commissioned by Manuel Gaviria y Douza, Marquis of Gaviria and Count of Buena Esperanza, to the architect Aníbal Álvarez Bouquel, this palace in the Italian Renaissance style was inaugurated in 1851 with a ball attended by Isabella II.  The jewel was set on calle Arenal, occupying a privileged location in an area favored by the bourgeoisie of the time between the Puerta del Sol and Ópera, a central hive of commerce in Madrid today.

The uses and tales of this singular and emblematic Madrid space are many and varied.  They range from having been thought in its early days to be queen Isabella II’s favorite secret trysting spot (it’s said there was even a secret passageway that connected it to the Royal Palace) to a meeting place for Erasmus foreign-exchange students, by way of a memorable past as a party venue, discotheque, and even Sunday after-party lounge.

Cherished as Heritage due to its historical value, the Palace is home to elements of great worth:  the grand main stairway granting access to the noble floor, with a pair of statues perched in their respective niches, and the ceilings decorated with paintings by Joaquín Espalter above the stair and in the Ball Room—perhaps the most remarkable of its rooms.

Currently protected by Patrimonio Nacional (Spanish National Heritage), it has become an exposition space and cultural center, and its rooms, managed by LOCALE EVENTS & SOUL, have been made available to companies, agencies, and brands as a unique and stunning stage for the most exclusive of events.