Spain : if the walls could talk

The wildest, riskiest plans often arise out of passion, from decisions that, if considered rationally, would probably never have been made: passion, say, with a building, a place, or a story. In some of the least-known areas of Spain, there are historic properties that have–somewhat unpredictably, you might think–been given new life thanks to the dedication and passion of their owners. Old farmhouses, a flour mill, a paper factory, a medieval tower… These buildings were once part of a prosperous past, but the advent of technological changes, rural exodus, and population decline left them at the mercy of both nature and time. None of these properties exists today by coincidence. Each one of them is the result of an essential perspective that only a few possess: an ability to detect beauty hidden among ruins, harmony amid damage, history in what barely survived. And, as with a true archaeological project, this perspective guided those who chose to rebuild these spaces with respect, humility, and a deep connection to the surrounding environment. There are no tricks or sleights of hand here. Restorations were undertaken by listening to the walls, preserving original materials, and working with the forms and rhythms of the site. It was essential to seek out local artisans, the guardians of trades passed down from generation to generation. The owners have been closely involved in every decision, ensuring the preservation of the buildings’ very souls. That is why these hotels not only welcome, they comfort. They do not impose, they invite. And those who inhabit them, even if only for a few days, feel as though they too have discovered a retreat that is profoundly their own.

A shelter for sparrows

In the Matarraña (Teruel province), at the end of a dirt road, a hidden valley opens up with mountains and the meandering Tastavins River in the background. A medieval tower, La Torre del Visco, dominates the landscape. Fellow Britons Piers Dutton and Jemma Markham met in Madrid, while working in publishing. They had always dreamed of having a country estate. Jemma recalls how, on his 50th birthday in the early 1990s, Piers said: “That day has to be now.” It took them a while to find the area, which at the time was little known and isolated, but when they arrived, they knew this was the place for them. The tower, dating back to 1449, dominated the e state, along with several additions: one from 1833 and others from the early 20th century. Enthusiastic remodelers, Piers and Jemma decided to manage the reconstruction along with an architect friend. In the first phase, they renovated the tower, which had become something of a shelter for sparrows and starlings. “It was very dilapidated, with no foundation, on a slope, and full of damp,” Jemma explains. With the help of some English stonemasons from Somerset, they renovated the first nine rooms and decided to open. The restoration–now 30 years ago–was like peeling back layers of history, of both the tower and the site as a whole. On the stone arch at the entrance, they found evidence of the region’s royalist tradition: a carved fleur-de-lys, the symbol of the Bourbons–and also, as it happens, of Relais & Châteaux. And, on the cellar door, they uncovered ex-votos of a devil and an old woman with a cross, symbols that were thought to protect against evil in a deeply superstitious world. “We arrived in an old Peugeot 205, which used the advertising slogan ‘With you to the end of the world.’ And that’s how it was,” Jemma says with amusement.

Rescued from oblivion 

There are some projects that seem to wait patiently for just the right person. That is exactly what happened with the former Laraño paper mill in Galicia, now A Quinta da Auga Hotel & Spa, rescued from oblivion by architect Luisa García Gil and her husband: “No sensible person would have become involved in this me ss, but we fell in love with the place,” she says. “It has a unique charisma, it is surrounded by nature… and there was nothing like it in Santiago.” Built at the end of the 18th century next to the Sar River, the factory has had many lives: a fulling (fabric) mill, sawmill, ice factory, and brewery. There were even plans to convert it into a leprosy hospital during the 19th-century epidemic. Since then, it suffered more than 75 years of neglect, until 2003. “It was so overgrown with brush that we could barely see what we were buying. There were trees inside the factory,” recalls Luisa. “The good thing was that nature protected it from predators and further deterioration.” The goal was to respect the stone that was still standing, wherever possible. They removed the ivy with machetes, stone by stone, to prevent any further damage. They put iron beams in existing holes in the old wooden beams to avoid drilling new holes. They restored all four 19thcentury fireplaces. “We managed to get the one in the living room working again, and it draws beautifully. We take great delight in seeing people enjoy it in winter, snuggled up with a blanket,” explains Luisa. The fireplace in room 409 is so imposing that a desk has been placed inside it. The mill’s old water channels are still visible, thanks to glass floors. “I am convinced that there is a special energy at work. The water generates magnetic fields, and that’s why people sleep so well here,” says Luisa. Perhaps because this was always meant to be a place of healing.

The beauty of heritage and modernity 

Mas de Torrent Hotel & Spa, in Emporda (Gerona), was an 18th-century building originally used for farming and ranching. The first floor provided shelter for the animals and storage for the food grown on the farm. The family home was on the upper floor. “The historic soul of Mas de Torrent was one of its greatest appeals,” says Pau Guardans, the ultimate owner of the property. “We are deeply committed to preserving and enhancing buildings with heritage, because they offer a sense of place that new constructions simply cannot replicate. We believe that true luxury stems from identity.” The beauty of the property and landscape are what has kept them going: its thick stone walls, broad porches, arched crown windows, whitewashed interior walls, and Catalan tufa (handmade terra-cotta tiles) underfoot. Paintings by Josep Maria Sert magnify a renovation led by interior designer Pilar García-Nieto in 2020. The result is a simple, understated beauty that evokes the atmosphere of the country manor it once was, through materials, pure shapes, craftsmanship, and earth tones. “The decor strikes a balance between rustic charm and refined minimalism–think original stone walls, wooden beams, and Mediterranean light paired with contemporary art and custom-designed furniture,” says Susana Basols, the property’s General Manager. “But beyond aesthetics,” she continues, “the guest experience is key. We curate moments that reflect the rhythm of life on the Costa Brava, from farm-to-table and local dining to a s ense of cultural immersion and the principles of slow travel. Our goal is to create a dialogue between heritage and modernity–always authentic, never forced.”

Homage to a Catalan farmhouse 

Who would have thought that a walk in the woods would lead Gemma Ribera and Martí Angrill to the project of a lifetime? One day, in countryside two hours north of Barcelona, they stumbled upon a large, very dilapidated farmhouse, which they decided to buy and restore. That was 15 years ago. They wanted to preserve as much of the original structure as possible: walls, arches, vaults, and especially the imposing buttresses that still support the farmhouse, which are covered in carved figures–a whispered connection to the past. Through local archives, they discovered that the site was once an ironworks with a forge. Hence its Catalan name: La Vella Farga, which means ‘The Old Forge.’ They even converted what could not be preserved: “We reused the old oak beams, which are hundreds of years old, to build cabinets for the rooms, doors, and some furniture, which I designed myself,” says Martí. The old, vaulted stables were converted into the hotel’s spacious common rooms and the upper floor was divided to create bright bedrooms with high ceilings: “It was clear to me from the start that the rooms had to be very spacious,” he adds. Crystal chandeliers, Louis XVI-style armchairs, former decorative capitals converted into headboards… Here, old and new converge harmoniously in all the spaces. The owners achieved a warm, cozy atmosphere by using natural materials like stone, wood, and iron, along with a wealth of fabrics and a careful selection of antiques. In a region known as ‘the place of a thousand farmhouses,’ La Vella Farga transcends the concept of hospitality: it is a way of giving voice to the memory of those informal buildings that were once at the center of everything.

A family mill

This is the story of a merchant who decided to retire to the countryside and share his home with all those who wanted to visit him. The Moreno family lived in the medieval town of Sigüenza (Guadalajara) when, in the early 1990s, they bought an old mansion that housed the Alcuneza flour mill–now the Molino de Alcuneza hotel. Although the earliest surviving document relating to the building is from the 15th century, it is believed that it may be far older, perhaps dating back to the 12th century. The house was in very poor condition. Its wooden frame and roof had been invaded by termites, woodworm, and moths and the necessary treatments had weakened the building. The true archaeological work then began: they retained the walls, but emptied the interiors and rebuilt everything the old way. “My father didn’t want the structure to be metal or concrete, it had to be wood,” explains Blanca Moreno, the hotel’s director. They refurbished the clay tile floors on the ground floor, the wood floors on the main floor, the traditional plaster on the walls, and the exposed stone. The property’s origins as a flour mill define its interior design, with natural materials like linens and raffia, ceramics, clay and wood. A broad palette of calm tones has been used throughout, from beiges and earth tones to golds and greens, “like the phases of wheat,” says Blanca. Her favorite corner is in the main hall, presided over by the mill itself, which they managed to get working some 20 years after starting the restoration. “The hall has a large, rustic table that is a pleasure to touch, the wine cellar, and a fireplace: it is a magical space,” she says.