Old Audience · Ciudad Rodrigo (EN)

In 1558 the widening of the Plaza Mayor of Ciudad Rodrigo was announced, forcing the demolition of several noble houses. In its place, in 1580 the city jail was built and the irregular character of the Plaza was configured, more or less as we know it today. In 1791, according to the inscription preserved on the facade of the building, the Audiencia de Ciudad Rodrigo, rebuilt a few years earlier, was already in existence. It is very possible that the neoclassical facade is the work of the Basque architect Juan de Sagarvinaga, the same one who was involved in the completion of the construction of the New Cathedral of Salamanca between 1752 and 1766. At the beginning of the 20th century the building was also used as the Town Hall while the traditional Town Hall was being renovated. The adaptation of the building to be used as a guest house has undergone several restoration processes. The latest interventions were carried out in September 2010, with the recovery of the stonework of the old portal, and in 2018 with the restoration of the wooden staircase leading to the second floor. In the lower part of the building, two old dungeons are still preserved.