Spain's BOE declares Franco's summer residence Pazo de Meirás a Place of Democratic Memory

Official declaration

The Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) published on Friday, August 14, 2026, the resolution declaring the Pazo de Meirás, located in the municipality of Sada (A Coruña), as a Place of Democratic Memory. The resolution, dated August 6, 2026, was issued by the Secretariat of State for Democratic Memory and concludes a process that began in September 2025, nearly reaching the maximum one-year deadline. The BOE describes the site as "one of the most significant spaces for understanding the contemporary history of Galicia and Spain."

The Spanish government, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, had announced its intention to declare both Meirás and the Illa de San Simón as places of democratic memory approximately a year and a half ago. The Illa de San Simón was used by the Franco regime as a concentration camp.

Two historical dimensions

The resolution ties the property's significance to two realities of "enormous importance and very different meaning." The first is Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851–1921), one of the most relevant writers of contemporary Spanish literature, who had the building constructed in the late 19th century on a former family property. There she wrote part of her work, assembled an important personal library, and received prominent political and cultural figures. The resolution highlights her pioneering role in advocating for women's rights.

The second dimension is the Franco dictatorship, which turned the property into one of its principal symbols of power. During the Second Republic, Meirás was associated with political and social sectors opposed to the democratic regime and was the scene of agrarian conflicts. Some family members participated in anti-republican conspiracies linked to the coup attempts of 1932 and 1936.

Acquisition for Franco

On March 3, 1938, during the Civil War, the "Junta Pro-Pazo del Caudillo" was constituted, composed of the civil governor of A Coruña and various provincial and local authorities, with the objective of acquiring the property to deliver it to Francisco Franco. The purchase was formalized in August 1938, financed through forced contributions imposed on municipalities, civil servants, and private individuals in a context of repression and political coercion.

The BOE indicates that during the property's preparation, lands were expanded "through repressive and coercive techniques" that dispossessed legitimate owners of adjacent plots. Public and private resources were also appropriated, including Romanesque statues, baptismal fonts, and tapestries. The property was delivered in December 1938, and in 1941 a fraudulent deed of sale was simulated to register it in the dictator's personal name. Between 1938 and 1975, Meirás served as the official summer residence of the head of state, hosting council of ministers meetings, diplomatic receptions, and propaganda events.

Judicial recovery and official reaction

The recovery process culminated through the courts after a lawsuit by the State Advocacy. On September 2, 2020, the Court of First Instance No. 1 of A Coruña declared the donation to Franco null and determined the property was state property, with delivery executed on December 10, 2020. The decision was ratified by the Provincial Court of A Coruña in February 2021 and completed on November 7, 2024.

Government delegate in Galicia Pedro Blanco celebrated the declaration.

“The Pazo de Meirás no longer represents the dictatorship, it represents the Galicians. We must be very happy and joyful.”

Blanco thanked the work of historical memory associations and municipalities that collaborated to reach this point, and said Meirás becomes a "place of memory, dignity and justice." He indicated the executive will now determine how the site will be used, respecting the principles established by the democratic memory law.