In the Casa de Campo we find a palace that was the object of desire for the Spanish royalty five hundred years ago. Surrounded by gardens and forests (then suitable for hunting, one of the great hobbies of the Habsburgs), it was bought in the sixteenth century by Philip II, a great lover of Madrid, who turned it into an ideal place for recreation.
This site is known as Casa de los Vargas, a name that refers to the family of the Madrid nobility who had the building constructed in 1519. Today it is a municipal monument, considered an Asset of Cultural Interest because it is located within a historic natural area.
In order to give a dignified role to the building, today forgotten, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Urban Landscape has launched a recovery plan that will bring the mansion back to life. It will become an interpretation center full of references to the building’s past and the importance of the Casa de Campo in the history of the city.
The restoration team will assess the state of the original architectural elements. To this end, it has already removed all the additions that were incorporated into the building during the 20th century, when the Casa de los Vargas became the headquarters of the Municipal Sports Institute.
Inma Sanz, deputy mayor of Madrid, has stated that the refurbishment works will begin in 2025 and will last 15 months. They will be allocated a budget of nine million euros, most of which will come from Next Generation EU funds.