The Casa de los Melgares, home to the Casa de Cultura in Bullas

The palace of the Melgares family in Bullas was built in 1925

The Casa de los Melgares is a striking palatial home which was built on the northern side of the main square of Bullas, now known as the Plaza de España, in 1925, and such is its size and its appearance that it competes for dominance of the square with the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

The palace was built on a site which was previously occupied by an inn on the orders of Pedro Melgares, who belonged to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Bullas. However, he and his family did not live here for long: by the time of the Civil War it was occupied by various workers’ unions, and in 1954 it became home to the Colegio de las Religiosas del Amor de Dios.

It was acquired by the Town Hall in 1984 and was renovated a decade later in order to house the municipal Casa de Cultura, archive, auditorium and library, roles it still performs today.

The façade is attractively decorated in the Modernist and Art Deco styles, while inside the neo-Moslem features which are modeled on those of the Alhambra palace in Granada include a beautiful stairway and balustrade, decorative details on internal arches, wrought iron decoration, mosaic tilings and woodwork. These Moorish influences are no accident: the works foreman during construction was instructed to draw inspiration from the Alhambra.

Address: Plaza de España, 12, 30180 BULLAS

Telephone: 968 654868

Email: [email protected] 

For more local news, events and other information consult the Bullas section of Murcia Today.