HistoryA 17th century building that was originally established as the residence of the Abbot of the
Abbey of St. Miguel of Ampudia. It was acquired by Don Diego Garcia de Tovar, Notary of Madrid
and later of Ampudia. He was a brother of the Chantre of the Abbey, Don Francisco García de
Tovar. At the end of the 18th century he bequeathed it to his family as part of his legacy and
it has passed from generation to generation to its present owners, the García Puertas brothers,
whose father Don Jesús García Simon impeded its deterioration by maintaining it to an
acceptable standard of preservation for many years.
It is a two-storey building with the main entrance facing the principle square and various
patios leading onto a secondary street.
Even though there have been various modifications to the building through the years, the
materials used in its construction are typical of the region, the stone at the doorstep and the
archway at the entrance, large adobe walls, wooden platforms and beams. The wrought iron
balconies as well as a lot of the interior doors are the originals from the 17th century.
Due to a Protection Order listed in the Catalogo de Bienes Protegidos of the town of
Ampudia, the building has retained its original entity, whilst being completely refurbished.
The integration of an atmosphere of the old with the modern and the latest technology that is
expected of a present day 4 star hotel has been made possible by one of the four brothers, the
architect, Angel Garcia Puertas.
The introduction of the old joinery as a complementary annex to the main house, using its
main room as the Boardroom, while keeping the carpenters original machinery and utensils, is
just one of the details perfectly structured by the architect.
Very near Palencia, Ampudia is a vision - an image of silhouettes. The well-aligned wooden
porticos along the streets give a perspective illusion of the "Colegiata de San
Miguel" and the castle, whose prominence encircles the village like a spectacular
amphitheatre.