A cultural bridge to Spanish America

Initially created as a sumptuous aristocratic residence for the Marquis of Linares in the last quarter of the 19th century, the palace came to complete the architectural and monumental layout of the Plaza de Cibeles. The vicissitudes of the time, however, caused its abandonment until 1976, when it was declared a historical-artistic monument, preventing its imminent demolition. Its restoration would still take a few years, since it was in 1991 when it was acquired by the Madrid City Council for the purpose of establishing the Casa de América or House of America, a cultural project that would link Madrid to the Hispanic-American world on the occasion of the naming of Madrid as the Cultural Capital of 1992. The renovation project was entrusted to the architect Carlos Puente, who scrupulously restored the original building and partially emptied the garden to create an underground auditorium.

© Antonello Dellanotte