Casa Duran, Renaissance manor house in Sabadell, Spain.
Casa Duran is a Renaissance manor house at the corner of Carrer del Pedregar and Carrer de Sant Joan in Sabadell, completed in 1606 for the Duran family. Its facade bears a plaque with that completion date. Inside, the ground floor held the stables, granary, wine cellar and soap factory, the main floor was the family's living and reception space, and the attic stored agricultural produce while insulating the roof.
Construction of the house began in 1578 under Feliu Duran, a royal attorney and council member in Sabadell at that time. It was built during a period when prosperous merchants and officials constructed such residences as symbols of their social standing.
The main hall's ceiling and walls carry Baroque mural paintings added in the 18th century, a hundred years after the house was built, depicting architectural decorative elements. The family chapel in the raised garden held a Renaissance altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin, a sign of the Duran family's standing in the town.
Casa Duran is open to visitors following restoration work that consolidated the structure and recovered the cellar, the courtyard and the wall paintings. Access to the main floor is by the large staircase in the light well, covered with decorated tiles. The garden lies above street level and holds the private chapel.
Beside the entrance hall, a passage leads to a subterranean grotto. No document records its use, but its position suggests it served as a hiding place for people or valuables. The 2000 restoration also recovered the wine cellar and the patio.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,418 contributors worldwide.