Longoria Palace

The Palacio Longoria stands at the corner of Calle Fernando VI and Calle Pelayo in Madrid's Justicia district and is considered the most outstanding Art Nouveau building in the Spanish capital. Catalan architect Jose Grases Riera built the town palace between 1902 and 1904 for banker Javier Gonzalez Longoria in the Catalan Modernisme style, which rarely reached this far inland. The curved facade with floral stone carving, the spiralling interior courtyard and the wrought-iron decoration play with echoes of Gaudi. Since 1950 the building has served as the headquarters of the Spanish authors' and publishers' rights society SGAE. The interior can only be visited on the May open day or at special events, while the facade is accessible at any time.