Hillhouse in Selaya – Palace of Donadío

The Hillhouse in Selaya or “the tower”, as it is called in the town, comes from a court petition from the lord of Lara in 1404. The building is constructed around a central defensive tower from the Medieval ages with rectangular floor.

In the 19th century the Marquis of Donadío bought the property and that is why it is also known as Palace of Donadío. The house is built in front of the most beautiful bowling alley of Cantabria, a true bastion of regional aesthetics built for the game, which has been played here since the last third of 19th century.

The tower and main facade are built in ashlar masonry. The entrance is classicist, with two Tuscan columns flanking the rounded arch access to the ground floor. Above it there is a forged iron balcony with a curved cut pediment, leaving space for a coat of arms between lions.

From the same period is the House of Intendente Riaño, which gets its name from  Intendente of Guanajuato, in Mexico, and Knight of the Order of Alcántara. It is located in the neighbourhood of La Costera in Liérganes and is designed to a common pattern of this period that tends to form a square block with a rounded arch, where the Classic influence is appreciated in the symetrical distribution of the spans in the facade.