Issue date: 18 Jun, 2004

PARADORES DE TURISMO

CONSULT RATES

PARADORES DE TURISMO

HISTORY

Un nuevo sello, dedicado al Parador de Lerma, pasa a formar parte de la serie titulada Paradores de Turismo, que da a conocer algunos de los emblemáticos edificios que forman esta amplia red de alojamientos.

A new stamp depicting the Parador in Lerma has been issued as part of the Paradores de Turismo series, which shows some of the distinctive buildings forming this extensive network of state-owned hotels. The town of Lerma (Burgos) is built on a small hill that rises from the banks of the river Arlanza, and its convents, churches and medieval buildings form a fascinating collection of historical monuments. The impressive Plaza Mayor, an open square covering 6,862 square metres and containing 75 stone columns is one of the largest in Spain. The Parador, which looks out over this square, was once the palace of the Dukes of Lerma, opening as a hotel in April 2003. The Ducal Palace was built on the site of a medieval castle between 1601 and 1617, according to records left by the architect Francisco de Mora, who was commissioned to build the palace by Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, first Duke of Lerma and a favourite of King Philip III. Built as a home for the Dukes and a place where the King could stay when he came to the town to relax and find amusement, its refined and balanced architecture is typical of the Austrian era. The building is arranged in characteristic Spanish palace style: an interior central patio surrounded by galleries with beautiful columns and a broad and sumptuous staircase that gives access to the bedrooms. The main façade rises from sturdy stone foundation pieces, the roofs are slate and the building's four corners are guarded by four towers whose slate spires are capped with orb, weathervane and cross.