The Palacio del Marqués de Casa Riera was the name for two successive buildings located in the same place, in the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

city of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, in the number 64 of the

Calle de Alcalá Calle de Alcalá is among the longest streets in Madrid. It starts at the Puerta del Sol and goes on for , to the northeastern outskirts of the city. Henry David Inglis described it in 1837 as "long, of superb width, and flanked by a splendid rang ...

, it was in the widest part of the street.

First palace

Its plant formed a rectangle parallelogram, consisting each of its four facades of three floors that were in all them in the same horizontal plan, serving as entrance to the building a spacious garden, which occupied the site of the old Convento de la Natividad y San José A portal with three entries, ornate with

pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression (physical), compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column i ...

s, separated this garden from the Calle de Alcalá. The building dates from early 19th century. It was built as a dowry for the Duchess of Abrantes, for which circumstance was designated with the name of "la casa de los alfileres" (the house of the pins). In the new building lived the Marquis of Ariza, the Russian ambassador, Prince Tatischef, and the famous provisionist of the French army and great financial

Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard was a French financier who was born in Moulins d'Antières at Cugand (Vendée) on 11 October 1770 and who died in London in October 1846. Revolution (1787–1800) The son of a paper mill owner, Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard rec ...

, in 1823 and 1824, at which time were held on its halls magnificent soirees and banquets, until it acquired the Catalan Marquis of Riera, who invested large sums in the decoration. The extension of the house and gardens was considerable, besides providing in front, on calle del Turco, other big housing for garages and offices, with which had connexion through a tunnel.

Second palace

On 1893 the first palace was demolished, and the Marquis of Casa Riera's nephew, Alejandro Riera Mora rose another palace. The new building was designed by architect Rodriguez Avial, in stone walls, brick and slate with attic. Part of the large garden is acquired to work in the Círculo de Bellas Artes (Circle of Fine Arts of Antonio Palacios) in 1917 and the rest was demolished in the late-1920s.

Remains

After the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

the site of the palace is occupied by a building that would be the Secretaría General del Movimiento (General Secretariat of the Movement) until 1977 and whose facade facing calle de Alcalá highlighted the yoke and arrows of great size that was its symbol. The garden was then used as parking. Then passed to the current office building of the Calle Alcalá No. 44, which can also be accessed through the garden from the calle Marqués Casa Riera. The office building reflects a simple structure, elegant and modern, with stone, marble and metals. Inside are touches of greenery and water, as continuation of the original gardens as well as a fountain of contemporary design in the center of the courtyard."Palacete y Jardines Marqués Casa Riera" madridconencanto-siema.com
/ref> At the low facing the calle Alcalá is located the Catalan cultural center and library, called Blanquerna, as a tribute to the Catalan origins of the Marquis which gives his name to the street.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palacio del Marques de Casa Riera Demolished buildings and structures in Madrid Buildings and structures demolished in 1893 Buildings and structures completed in the 19th century Renaissance Revival architecture in Spain Former palaces in Spain Calle de Alcalá 1920s disestablishments in Spain Buildings and structures demolished in the 1920s