The Prado de San José Mansion, which is its original name, was commissioned in 1896 by Juan Manuel Sánchez y Gutiérrez de Castro, Duke of Almodóvar del Río, a native of Jerez de la Frontera, who was attracted by the boom in Comillas following the arrival of King Alfonso XII. The building work lasted four years and was carried out by the architect Francisco Hernández Rubio.
The building is inspired by English rustic architecture, made of stone, brick, and wood. During the guided visit, we'll see the rooms on the main floor, including the hall, the living room, and the dining room, among others, and a fantastic modernist-style staircase made with wood from the Fernando Poo colony in Guinea.
The appeal and charm of this mansion, which preserves the original furniture, objects and decoration, has made it the setting for some film productions such as At Sunset (1967), The Valdemar Heritage (2010) and The Forbidden Shadow (2011).
After the tour of the mansion, you can choose to combine it with a tour of the main squares and streets of Comillas, the greatest example of Art Nouveau in Cantabria, discovering places such as Plaza de los 3 Caños, Plaza del Antiguo Ayuntamiento, Palacio de Sobrellano, and the Chapel-Mausoleum, among others.
And if you want a complete visit, you can include the famous Capricho de Gaudí, an Art Nouveau building designed by the famous architect at the request of the wealthy emigrant Máximo Díaz de Quijano, noted for its ceramic decoration, its striking minaret, and the prominence of vegetation and music.
