Franco's castle: closed for vacation

Since the death of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, his family, headed up by his only daughter, Carmen, has spent every summer in the intimate settings of the Pazo de Meirás, a 19th-century estate. Their right to privacy, so coveted by the Francos, will be a reality once more in August, in spite of the recent decision to open the grounds and building to the public every Friday. The visits will be suspended during the entire month of August, so that the Francos can enjoy an uninterrupted vacation.

Sources close to the family say that the octogenarian proprietor of the house likes to fill this singular three-towered castle, with its magnificent gardens, with members of the family every summer. The Pazo was once the literary sanctuary of Countess Emilia Pardo Bazán, before it was given as a "gift" to the Francos by the town of Sada during the Civil War. The Franco family lost a court battle to prevent it being opened to the public, with visits having begun in April.

The building is very cold, and only suitable for living in during the summer

The estate has played host to many weddings and soirées, the last big event having taken place there in 2008, when the great-granddaughter of the dictator, Leticia Giménez-Arnau Martínez-Bordiu, got married in the ancient property where her parents had done so 31 years previously. Some improvements were needed for the occasion, to convert a monument described by the Galician regional government's heritage department as having a "good general state of conservation [despite] an abundance of damp patches, an old and dangerous wiring system, and areas, such as the servants quarters, that were in a complete state of neglect." What's more, according to the Franco family, the building is extremely cold, and only suitable for living in during the summer months.

Carmen Franco Polo - who also enjoys another distinguished inheritance in the heart of the old city of A Coruña, the Casa Cornide - usually arrives in Galicia at the end of June, staying there until mid-September. But this year, thanks to the weekly calendar of visits imposed by the regional government, will see the Franco heirs cut back their stay to just a month. Their arrival date is as yet unknown. But they will leave after having attended the Mass in memory of the self-styled Generalísimo, which takes place every Sunday in August in the Meirás parrochial church. Attending the service is the only time they leave the estate.

The Francos, who are very discreet with their comings and goings, now have no contact with the 800 or so inhabitants of this rural village.

Only from the highest tower, the only one with a balcony, is the sea visible, being three kilometers away from the Pazo. There is no swimming pool in the immense property, nor is there summer furniture on the inside. There is, however, a strong smell of damp and a decor that could be best described as gloomy, given the large number of deer heads and other hunting trophies, with which the Francos decorated entire walls.

There is no longer any sign of the refined interior decoration that the Countess Pardo Bazán would have given her literary refuge. She personally oversaw the exterior of this "grandiose construction, with a military air and majestic aspect," in the words of the heritage department. There are, however, valuable historical and artistic pieces throughout the Francos' property, such as the chapel dreamed up by the writer, which contains authentic Roman elements and is directly connected to the main bedroom on the first floor.

The gardens are also home to a lot of valuable heritage, which Carmen Polo, an antiques fan, brought in from monasteries and other estates from all of Galicia.

In September, the Pazo will begin opening once more, every Friday. The attraction has been a popular one with the public: there are no more tickets left until 2012 for the four weekly shifts.