The house occupies an irregular lot. On the one hand the house rests on the rock and is settled on it. On the other hand, it occupies spaces above the contiguous parish church chapels. The building is supported by masonry loadbearing walls.
Wood, plaster and ceramic tiles are part of the construction. It has four levels and a room to access by means of several stairs. The ground floor consisted of a large entrance hall, wine cellar, kitchen, dining room, pantries, farmyards, stables and hay loft. The remaining levels were occupied by different dormitories and rooms.
The House was built after the great earthquake in 1644 that devasted the region and ruined the castle rooms.
It was raised by the Orduña Family, a lineage of Basque origin that had arrived at El Castell de Guadalest as trustworthy people of the Cardona’s, Admirals from Aragon. Sir Sancho de Cardona received the title of marquess of Guadalest in 1542. The Orduña’s were in the service of the marquesses as governors of the fortress and governors of their states.
The house was burned and looted during the War of Succession (1708). In 1756, Sir Pedro Antonio Buenaventura de Orduña y García entered the Military Order of Santiago, thus gaining access to the nobility.
The family obtained for all members, not only economic relations or social influence, but also the best and most solid cultural formation possible in the second half of the eighteenth century and all along the nineteenth century. Among their members there are principally lawyers and military men.
The premises of the house correspond to the moment of supreme glory and influence of the Orduña’s family exercised through D. Joaquín Mª de Orduña. The decoration adapts to the aesthetic tastes of the bourgeoisie who lived the political ups and downs of the second half of the 19th century. We cannot forget that this building was always a big house in a small town, immersed in a rural and inbred environment, far away geographically from capitalist influences more up to date in the changing aesthetic tastes.
Below you will find information about each of the rooms that make up the Orduña’s House in the following links:
Through the ancient stairs of the house you can descend to the ground floor from where you can access the castle of San Jose.
Summer timetable: from 10:15 to 20:00
Winter timetable: from 10:15 to 18:00
From Mondays to Sundays.
Price: Adults: 4€
Under 6 years old children: 2€
Students, pensioners and Adult groups: 3€
2, Iglesia Street
Post code: 03517 El Castell de Guadalest (Alicante)
Telephone: 965885393
Web: www.guadalest.es