The Palacio Laredo of Alcalà de Henares !!!

So coming back to whimsical historical and architecturally stunning Alcalà de Henares and again glad to have found new pics in my cd rom vault to share in my blog for you and me. I continue with my journey thru the Comunidad de Madrid. Therefore, this is my take on the Palacio Laredo of Alcalà de Henares !!!  Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Palacio Laredo is located on Paseo de la Estación. Other names for it include the Quinta La Gloria. It is also known as the Laredo Hotel, not because it accommodates guests, but because it is an isolated house from the surrounding ones and inhabited by a single family. It was built as a private home between 1880 and 1884. It is in the Neo-Mudejar style, with interior decoration in plasterwork and tiles of oriental inspiration, such as the minaret with a clock that juts out from the outside. It was sold by its owner in 1895. Mr Manuel José Laredo y Ordoño went to live in Madrid, where he died the following year, In 1973, the heirs donated the palace to the Alcalá de Henares City Council.

Its was built in an eclectic neo-Mudejar style incorporating Gothic, Renaissance, Pompeian and Modernist elements, with an exhaustive use of the decorative possibilities of exposed brick. Around the building is one of the few Romantic gardens that remain in the city. Inside there are 15 original archaeological pieces brought by its owner from buildings of the 15-16C. Thus, the vault and columns of the Santorcaz Castle, coffered ceilings of the palace of the Marquises of Tendilla, columns of the cloister of the Convent of Jesús del Monte in Loranca de Tajuña, tiles from the palace of Pedro I the Cruel in Jaén and Toledo. There are rooms inspired by the Alhambra, and frescoes with Pompeian and Plateresque motifs. The Salón de los Reyes or Hall of Kings is decorated with paintings of various monarchs, and the ceiling features a representation of the firmament as it was conceived in the Middle Ages; it currently serves as an assembly hall and conference room.

In 1996, the University of Alcalá (see post) created the Centro Internacional de Estudios Históricos Cisneros or Cisneros International Center for Historical Studies (CIEHC) to study the figure of Cardinal Cisneros and his time, as well as the history of universities. It follows two lines of scientific orientation: one focused on the history of the mendicant orders, that of the ancient University of Alcalá and the analysis of the figure and work of its founder; and the other oriented to analyze the various aspects of the historical development of the area in which the cities of Guadalajara and Alcalá de Henares are located. Of particular note is the Complutense Polyglot Bible, a six-volume work that constituted a theological revolution at the time, as it was the first polyglot edition of a complete Bible. Printed in four languages ​​(Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Aramaic), of the 600 copies published, only 123 are known to have survived, and one is on permanent display in this museum for the first time. Also on display are the four volumes of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible or Biblia Regia, commissioned by Felipe (Philip) II from Benito Arias Montano, a former student at the University of Alcalá. In addition, the museum displays important objects related to Cardinal Cisneros, ranging from contemporary portraits to his chalice and his will.

The Palacio Laredo currently belongs to the Alcalá de Henares City Council, although it is managed by the University of Alcalá. It houses the Cisnerian Museum and the Cisneros International Center for Historical Studies. The museum can be visited.

The Madrid tourist office on Alcalà de Henares:  https://www.esmadrid.com/en/trips-alcala-henares

The Alcalà de Henares tourist office on the Laredo palace museum:  https://www.turismoalcala.es/en/turismo/laredo-palace-museum/

The city of Alcalà de Henares on its history: https://www.ayto-alcaladehenares.es/alcala-de-henares-patrimonio-mundial/

The Comunidad de Madrid tourist office on Alcalà de Henares : https://www.visitmadrid.es/en/where-to-go/alcala-henares

The official Centro Internacional de Estudios Históricos Cisneros on the museum : https://www.uah.es/en/conoce-la-uah/campus-centros-y-departamentos/facultades-y-escuelas/Centro-Internacional-de-Estudios-Historicos-Cisneros-00002/

There you go folks, Alcalà de Henares is truly a city to come back again, lots to see and document here, we like it, it is on our world map. The Palacio Laredo is a nice side trip to make while in the City which we have been several times over the years, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Palacio Laredo of Alcalà de Henares !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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