17th century mende bukaeran
This is a very good example of a baroque palace, at the time it was known as “the palace they say is haunted”. It was built in the late 17th century by Francisco Lardizábal, a rich owner of an ironworks. In 1977, the owners donated it so it could be used as a new city hall. Adaptations were made to the building and garden and it was inaugurated in 1983.
The main facade has the traditional noble building form of the Basque territory using three axes (entrance opening, tribute balcony and carved escutcheon). The openings are decorated in a very simple way with rusticated masonry and bars of different shapes. At the top there is an imposing family escutcheon accompanied by many other elements, like lions, putti, tenants, etc. Lastly, the eaves are richly decorated with plant motifs.
The Lardizabal family was quite famous, among other reasons, for the donations they made in the town. Among them was Martín Lardizabal y Elortza, who was Mayor of Madrid and a member of His Majesty’s Council, and the Council of the Indies, among his other titles.
