Spain's historic 1496 palace crumbles into the Duero
A 1496 palace of the Catholic Monarchs beside the Duero is falling apart after plans to turn it into a Parador fell through. The before-and-after photos are not what they seem.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The 1496 palace where the Catholic Monarchs once lived, on the banks of the Duero, is crumbling after plans to convert it into a Parador Nacional (Spain's state-run hotel chain in historic buildings) fell through. The photo comparison circulating online is misleading: the front façade is still standing, and the rear was already in ruins.
## A building from 1496 falling to pieces
The palace of **1496** where the **Catholic Monarchs** lived, beside the Duero, is collapsing. Vozpópuli reported that the property could have become a **Parador Nacional**, Spain's state-run hotel network housed in historic buildings, and today it is falling apart. This is no metaphor: the building is literally crumbling into the river.
The image accompanying the story shows a ruin. But not all of that ruin is new.
## The trick behind the before-and-after photos
One of the circulating images shows the front façade, which looks the same today as it always has. The other shows the rear of the building. Anyone unfamiliar with the property might believe these are photos of the same spot before and after a collapse. They are not: they are two different perspectives.
The rear view already showed deterioration before. There has been no new collapse, just confirmation of prolonged neglect. The difference between the two photos is not time, but the side from which the building is viewed.
## The Parador that never was
The palace could have been converted into a **Parador Nacional**, the public network of hotels in historic buildings. The plan never went ahead. The result is a singular property being lost on the banks of the Duero.
Failing to invest in its restoration carries a cost. A Parador generates jobs and tourism in sparsely populated areas. The palace, meanwhile, keeps falling down.
## A building from 1496 falling to pieces
The palace of **1496** where the **Catholic Monarchs** lived, beside the Duero, is collapsing. Vozpópuli reported that the property could have become a **Parador Nacional**, Spain's state-run hotel network housed in historic buildings, and today it is falling apart. This is no metaphor: the building is literally crumbling into the river.
The image accompanying the story shows a ruin. But not all of that ruin is new.
## The trick behind the before-and-after photos
One of the circulating images shows the front façade, which looks the same today as it always has. The other shows the rear of the building. Anyone unfamiliar with the property might believe these are photos of the same spot before and after a collapse. They are not: they are two different perspectives.
The rear view already showed deterioration before. There has been no new collapse, just confirmation of prolonged neglect. The difference between the two photos is not time, but the side from which the building is viewed.
## The Parador that never was
The palace could have been converted into a **Parador Nacional**, the public network of hotels in historic buildings. The plan never went ahead. The result is a singular property being lost on the banks of the Duero.
Failing to invest in its restoration carries a cost. A Parador generates jobs and tourism in sparsely populated areas. The palace, meanwhile, keeps falling down.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (2 replies).
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