Pazo de Lóngora

Pazo de Lóngora is an 18th-century Galician manor house standing in Liáns, in the municipality of Oleiros, right next to A Coruña. It is not a conventional sightseeing attraction with visiting hours, but its layered history and distinctive architecture make it a worthwhile stop for anyone exploring the coast around A Coruña.

Where is Pazo de Lóngora located?

The pazo sits in the hamlet of Lóngora, within the parish of Liáns, part of the municipality of Oleiros — a small coastal town just east of A Coruña. Its address is Rúa Casares Quiroga 29. The surrounding neighbourhood grew up as a residential area around the historic estate, which is why local maps sometimes label the district "Urbanización Pazo de Lóngora."

What is the history behind the building?

The house was built in the second half of the 18th century for Marcial Francisco del Adalid, a wealthy merchant originally from La Rioja. It later served as the summer residence of his grandson, the composer Marcial del Adalid, and his wife, the writer Francisca González Garrido — better known as Fanny Garrido — both notable figures in 19th-century Galician culture. After the couple's death, the estate passed to their daughter, María de los Dolores, who donated the family library to the Real Academia Galega and left the buildings to the Salesian order.

Once the Salesians left in 1958, the pazo fell into disrepair until 1962, when the entrepreneur Aurelio Ruenes Blanco carried out a restoration. The property eventually came under the ownership of the Oleiros town council, which ceded it to the University of A Coruña (UDC). Since 25 August 1997, the pazo has housed the Instituto Universitario de Medio Ambiente (University Institute of Environmental Studies), which carries out research, postgraduate teaching and technical advisory work on environmental matters.

What does the architecture look like?

The building follows an L-shaped floor plan typical of many Galician pazos. Its walls combine ashlar masonry with dressed granite. The façade is marked by a large wrought-iron balcony reached by a high-parapet staircase, and the estate is entered through a gateway leading into a courtyard with a portico. Behind the main house lies a garden with a stone fountain and an ornamental water tank whose corners are adorned with four allegorical figures representing the seasons. Outbuildings and a gardener's cottage also remain on the grounds.

Can visitors go inside Pazo de Lóngora?

Because the building now operates as a research and teaching facility of the University of A Coruña, it is not open to the public in the way a typical tourist attraction would be, with no regular visiting hours for casual sightseeing. Visitors can, however, view the façade and gardens from outside while walking through the quiet, green surroundings of Liáns, close to the Oleiros coastline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Pazo de Lóngora? In the hamlet of Lóngora, parish of Liáns, municipality of Oleiros, a few kilometres from A Coruña, at Rúa Casares Quiroga 29.

Who built Pazo de Lóngora, and when? It was built in the second half of the 18th century for Marcial Francisco del Adalid, a merchant from La Rioja; it later became the summer home of composer Marcial del Adalid and writer Fanny Garrido.

Who owns the building today, and what is it used for? It belongs to the Oleiros town council, which ceded it to the University of A Coruña; since 1997 it has housed the Instituto Universitario de Medio Ambiente.

Is it possible to visit the interior of the pazo? Since the building functions as a university institute, it is not open for casual visits like a typical attraction, though the exterior and gardens can be viewed from outside.