The Gosálvez Palace, a mansion built at the beginning of the last century in Casas de Benítez (Cuenca), near the Júcar River, is not going through its best moment. In its day it was the luxurious residence of the industrialist Enrique Gonsálvez and his extended family, but the building has been suffering plunder and abandonment for decades to the despair of the neighbors. Or at least it has been until now. In March the news broke that the mansion was changing hands to be reborn as accommodation and an event venue.
The question is whether the one known as “Versailles de Cuenca” will be reborn or will only write one more chapter in the sad chronicle that it has dragged on for decades.
An unknown gem. They know it as “the Versailles of Cuenca” or “of La Mancha” and (although without reaching the size or splendor of the French building) the truth is that the Gosálvez Palace is a jewel worthy of admiration.
In fact, this old palatial residence built around 1900 in the province of Cuenca by order of the businessman Enrique Gosálvez is listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), attracts the interest of hundreds of visitors and even has its own association of ‘admirers’, a group that has been calling for some time to stop the deterioration that the property has suffered for decades.
Is it that important? It only takes a look at the Cultural Heritage Catalog of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha to understand that the palace is a unique piece. Both from a historical and architectural point of view. The construction is of French inspiration, “a small Versailles” very much in line with the palaces that were built in the north of Spain at the beginning of the 20th century. There, in its nearly 20 rooms, the industrialist Enrique Gosálvez once lived with his extensive brood among luxuries, elegant furniture and sumptuous gardens.
Beyond the architectural interest of the palace, the complex includes additional pieces, such as turrets, a neo-Gothic style chapel, a gazebo… and an extensive garden that, reminds the Department of Culture, is a reason in itself to visit the estate. “Some species are unique in the Community of Castilla-La Mancha,” he highlights. As if that were not enough, among its decoration the palace came to include a fountain popularly known as “La Zarina”, a gift (it is said) that the wife of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II gave to Enrique Gosálvez.
A gem in low hours. Neither its splendor nor its rich history prevented the palace from ending up in the worst possible way: ruined after the death of Gosálvez. Although it is protected as BIC, the construction has clearly deteriorated until it fell on the “red list” of Hispania Nostra, a list that includes Spanish heritage “at risk of disappearance.” There it is noted that the building is the victim of decades of “disastrous neglect” and “mutilations” that have caused the structure to degrade and suffer looting.
A ray of hope. The future of the property seemed to change a few months ago, when a Swiss couple became interested in it and decided to recover it with a clear purpose: to dedicate it to accommodation, social events and visits. At least that’s what elDiario.es published in March, which reported that the couple had taken ownership of the venue. They themselves had been in charge of announcing it through Instagram, from an account in which they have 24,400 followers.
The news of the change of owners was echoed by other local media and even by the Friends of the Gosálvez Palace and its Environment Association through its Facebook account. The issue was actually discussed at an extraordinary assembly in August. “The good news of the change of owners and their interest in bringing the palace and surroundings back to life have been paralleled by a renewed interest of many heritage lovers in being part of the association,” he celebrated.
Perfect, right? Not at all. On Monday The Confidential published a chronicle that updates the situation of the palace and shows that its recovery is probably not going to progress as quickly as the Swiss couple wanted. The land has been cleaned and cleared, but when the new owners wanted to touch the construction, Heritage put the brakes on them. At least that’s what another post published on the same Instagram account at the beginning of October says.
“We have been informed that neither basic maintenance work, nor provisional protection of the building, nor removal of debris are authorized.” The authors of the post recall that the mansion is a BIC, a figure that “in theory” seeks to protect heritage, but in their opinion “in many cases” achieves the “opposite” effect.
“The immense bureaucratic and administrative regulation to obtain permits means that no one dares to restore them since costs multiply and work times are prolonged,” they add. “This makes any investment unfeasible, both by individuals and public administrations. This is the reason why we find countless BIC buildings in ruins. The intention of wanting to save buildings does not matter. Only respect for rules that are impossible to comply with.”
“They were a little wrong”. The Confidential He has also interviewed the mayor of Casas de Benítez, the municipal area in which the mansion stands. In his opinion, the couple has been optimistic. “They were a little wrong about what this process entails,” he reflects. “They believed that everything could be managed with the City Council and I accompanied them to Cuenca so that they could see that each step must be approved by Heritage. They discovered that it was going to be longer and more expensive than expected. They planned to make it profitable in three months with garden parties.”
Pedro Pablo Correas, from the Association of Friends of the Palace, also clarifies that “they have only been asked to meet certain minimums,” such as “that there be an architect in charge of the project.” “This couple came from renovating a spectacular neo-Mudejar palace on the Caudete estate, in Alicante. There they did whatever they wanted, also using volunteers, and they believed that all the oregano mountains, but this is a BIC and things don’t work like that,” Daniel Pedrero, manager of Cultural Heritage, tells the same medium. “The palace is falling apart, you can’t put volunteers in there, at least they have to be insured.”
And now what? The October 5 post ends with a firm statement: “What happens now? We are not giving up, we continue fighting to fulfill our dream and that of many people of seeing the Gosálvez Palace shine again in its best era.” At the moment, the old palace from the beginning of the 20th century that lived its years of splendor in the last century continues to appear on the “red list” of Hispania Nostra, where it is remembered that the building and garden were purchased to be reborn as a hotel complex, but for the moment they remain in the same situation as before.
Images | WorldOfSoftware and JCCM-Culture of Castilla-La Mancha
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