This splendid building is located in the square Plaza de la Constitución and was built around the year 1775 on the ruins of the hermitage of Saint John, an ancient pilgrim’s resting place. It consists of a Romanesque arcade, an open ground floor for the townspeople and a first floor with door-like windows that open to an extended balcony supported by a large parapet.
The stonework was done by Simón Fernández de Castro. The five shields of the archbishops who gave Comillas the name of “The Village of the Archbishops” hang on the wall of the main façade.
Juan Antonio González de la Reguera (1720-1805), bishop of Peru.
Rafael de la Vara, bishop in Guatemala
Bernardo Martínez de la Rabia (1759-1826), bishop of Sonora, Mexico
Saturnino Fernández de Castro (1827-1886) bishop of León and Archsbishop of Burgos
In the boardroom, probably decorated by Martorell, who in turn would have been entrusted by Eusebio Güell, are displayed two copies of the portraits of Antonio López y López and Claudio López-Bru. A portrait of Joaquín del Piélago was painted by Antonio Caba Casmitjna (Barcelona 1838-1907). The reception room was built for the visit of King Alfonso.
On the balcony there are two shields. One with the Royal Crown, the other with a helmet and the Coat of Arms of Comillas, the tower of Seville and the sea, which symbolizes the liberation of that city.
In the square in front of the building it is a collection of traditional houses all attached with their balconies and their heavy walls that, as well as the town hall and the church, make Comillas a most rewarding tourist destination. The village was declared Site of Cultural Interest in 1985.
The interior of the building cannot be visited. It features temporary exhibitions in the porches, which can be accessed via the cobbled streets of the historic center, by stepping up a small step.
