Pazo de Santa Cruz de Ribadulla, Baroque manor house in Santa Cruz de Ribadulla, Spain.
Pazo de Santa Cruz de Ribadulla is a Baroque manor house in Galicia that stands surrounded by expansive grounds with diverse plantings. The estate contains multiple garden areas, walkways connecting different sections, and scattered groves of mature trees across its landscape.
In the mid-15th century a nobleman named Abraldes held the tower of Ortigueira; after he backed Juana la Beltraneja, the Catholic Monarchs had the tower demolished, and he abandoned the house. The canon Juan Ibáñez de Mondragón, of Basque origin, later bought the empty tower, rebuilt it with a chapel and coat of arms, and walled the estate. His nephew Andrés Ibáñez de Mondragón was made Marquis of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla by Charles II in 1681.
The name Santa Cruz de Ribadulla comes from the parish church of Santa Cruz, not from any convent. The Mondragón coat of arms on the facade and the fountain of "La Coca" in front of the house both show the dragon of that family's heraldry. The garden holds a camellia over two hundred years old and nine metres tall, and in 2015 an olive tree of the Paseo das Oliveiras won the AEMO prize for the best monumental olive tree in Spain.
The grounds can be explored on foot, with pathways leading between garden areas and older trees throughout the estate. Wearing comfortable shoes is advisable as some paths cross uneven terrain.
A remarkable row of olive trees winds through the estate, forming a living collection of extraordinary age and longevity. These trees rank among the oldest botanical elements on the grounds and are easily spotted by their height and gnarled appearance.
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