Gone but not forgotten. That’s the story of the Palacio del Marqués de Alcañices. Picture this spot. It once stood proudly on Calle de Alcalá. Now only the Bank of Spain remains.
The Palacio del Marqués de Alcañices wasn’t always a memory. It had a rich history. It stood on land previously owned by Luis de Haro. He was a favorite of King Philip IV. The palace’s name came from its owners. The last owner was José Osorio y Silva. He was known as Pepe Osorio. He was the Duke of Sesto. He also held the title of Marqués de Alcañices.
The palace’s construction date is unknown. We do know Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón and María Josefa Pimentel lived there in 1790. They were the Dukes of Béjar. Manuel Miguel Osorio y Spínola later bought it. He was the 15th Marqués de Alcañices. He made repairs in 1804. He needed to prevent the façade from collapsing.
His son Nicolás Osorio y Zayas inherited the palace. He spent two million reales on renovations in 1847. Nicolás loved horses. He was a founder of the Society for the Promotion of Horse Breeding in Spain. He built new stables in 1854. After his death in 1866 his son José inherited it. José commissioned Francisco de Cubas to make significant renovations in 1872.
This renovation happened after José’s marriage to Princess Sofía Troubetzkoy. The palace became a center for Alfonsine meetings. Supporting the monarchy cost José 15 to 20 million reales. The expansion of Calle Zorrilla and Calle de los Madrazo forced José to sell the Palacio del Marqués de Alcañices. He sold it to the Bank of Spain in 1882. He built stables elsewhere but never finished the new palace.
The palace disappeared. It was demolished. Today only the Bank of Spain stands on its former site. It is a reminder of the grand Palacio del Marqués de Alcañices. A reminder of a vanished splendor on Calle de Alcalá. A testament to changing times in Madrid.