FORMER MUNICIPAL HOSPICE

The former municipal hospice is the only architectural element built by a noble family still conserved in the Magdalena neighbourhood. It was the main residence of the Count of Lemos in the city and displays all the characteristic styles of the neoclassic buildings in the urban fabric of the Ferrol of the Enlightenment. These elements are particularly visible on the sober façade that overlooks the Rúa Sol: the symmetrical fenestration, the cantilevered balcony on large granite corbels on the first floor, the wrought iron railings, the plastered masonry walls, or the masonry elements framing doors and windows.

In 1860 the building, called Mesón de Valentín, was bought from the House of Alba and became the temporary premises of the Casino, known at the time as “Tertulia de Confianza”, and a few years later it began its stage as a municipal hospice for orphans. In 1895 the building was extended towards the Praza de Amboage, adding the eclectic style of the architect Manuel Riva de Soto and creating a central courtyard that provided access to the different rooms of the building. In 1904 it suffered a major fire and had to be completely rebuilt under the guidance of Julio Galán. It was operational until the 1990s, passing then through a time of transition and different uses, becoming home to the Santa Teresa School, the offices of the Cofradía de Dolores brotherhood and the Galician Society of Natural History. Finally, between 2011 and 2014 renovation work was carried out to convert the former hospice into offices for several associations and local organisations.