History

A story of hard work and perseverance.

The History of a Palace

Also known as the Palacio del Gallo or the Palacio de Adán de Yarza, the Palacio Urgoiti was erected by Don Miguel Vélez de Larrea at the end of the 17th century in Galdakao and has always belonged to the Adán de Yarza family.
The Palacio Urgoiti was originally located in Galdakao, 15 km from Mungia. This strategic original enclave dominated the roads of Arratia and Zornotza. It was the backdrop of many events throughout Biscay’s history and a meeting place for several illustrious visitors, including Prince Carlos of Bourbon. There were many notable Adam of Yarzas who inhabited these palaces and the towers that preceded them, such as Rodrigo Adam of Yarza, who was already making waves in history as mayor of the jurisdiction of Biscay since 1338.

Stone by stone

Reconstruction

In 1968, with the construction of the Bilbao-Behobia highway, the palace was expropriated and demolished despite the repeated requests of the owner, José María Solano Gil-Delgado Adán de Yarza, to the authorities of the time to avoid it. The owner eventually decided to dismantle it and catalogue the stones. The stones were kept in storage for 30 years, waiting for the right time to be reassembled.

30 years later

Hard Word and Perseverance

In 1983, the Basque Country suffered one of the worst floods in our history. This affected the possibility of rebuilding the palace as the original blueprints where lost and the stones deteriorated. After salvaging the few documents that remained, there began a slow and painstaking process of ordering, classifying and cataloguing the stones that made up the original building. Every single stone was measured individually; it was as if a puzzle were being assembled from thin air.

Three centuries in the same family

Current times

The real reconstruction of the Urgoiti Palace began in 2004 with the laying of the first stone. This exemplary reconstruction using noble materials maintains the original style of the Urgoiti Palace, which allows us to continue enjoying this magnificent jewel of Biscay’s palatial architecture.
The fact that the Palacio de Zubieta and the Palacio Urgoiti have remained in the hands of the same family for more than three hundred is rather noteworthy as it doesn’t happen often.