Hostal dos Reis Católicos
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Noe1
N 42° 52.884 W 008° 32.748
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The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, also called the Hospital dos Reis Católicos (Hospital de los Reyes Católicos in Spanish), is now a 5-star Parador hotel, located in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
Waymark Code: WMNZDX
Location: Galicia, Spain
Date Posted: 05/28/2015
Views: 6
History
"Construction of the building took over 10 years. Masons, engineers, and sculptors from all over Europe were called upon to work on the project. The project was overseen by architect Enrique Egas, and has a Plateresque facade. In 1526, King Carlos V completed work on the Plaza Obradoiro, creating a large open plaza joining the Hostal and great Cathedral.
The hotel was constructed with four colonnaded and interconnected courtyards within its walls. Two of these piazzas date from the eighteen hundreds, but the two earlier squares are from the sixteenth century and feature water fountains at their hearts. The later courtyards are of a baroque design and were constructed during an extensive re-modelling and renovation.
Since the Hostal was essentially a large state-run hospital, it attracted many doctors and scholars. The Hostal began serving the medical needs of the city of Santiago de Compostela. One of the oldest medical schools in Spain spring up nearby, and it helped establish the tradition of the city as center for university learning and higher education.
During the 20th Century, the dictator Francisco Franco stayed at the Hostal. It was Franco's decision, in 1954, to create the Spanish Parador hotel system, and to renovate the Hostal into a world class modern hotel."
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