Pazo de Meirás

The Pazo de Meirás is a historic manor house in Sada, in Spain's Galicia region, built in the Revival style in the late 19th century. The building rose on the ruins of an old military fortress that had been destroyed during the War of Independence against Napoleonic troops. Originally known as the Torres de Meirás, the estate passed through marriage and inheritance to the writer Emilia Pardo Bazán. She had the house extensively remodeled and spent more than four months a year there for many years. The tower, which she named after her imagination, housed her library, which is still preserved in the building today. After her death, the estate stayed in the family until it was taken over by the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War.

From 1938, the pazo served as the summer residence of the dictator Francisco Franco. The local Nationalist faction organized a forced fundraising campaign to finance the purchase price on behalf of the state, which meant the building effectively became Franco's personal property. After his death, his widow received the hereditary noble title of Lady of Meirás. The legal ownership of the estate was disputed for a long time, both in Spain and at the European level. Finally, in September 2020, a court ordered that the house be returned to the state, since it had been transferred to Franco in his capacity as head of state and not as a private individual. In December 2020, the Spanish state took over the building after 82 years of private use.

Today the Pazo de Meirás is classified as a cultural asset of national interest. The government plans to use the building for educational purposes in the future, in order to address the harm done during the Franco dictatorship. Visitors can tour the estate on a limited basis, and the grounds have been opened to the public. The history of the site links the region's literary tradition with Spain's complex political past, making it an important place of remembrance and reflection.