COLLECTION EUGENIO FONTANEDA.

AMPUDIA CASTLE.

Palencia. Spain

TIPOLOGY AND HISTORY

The present appearance of the castle of Ampudia is like a stately fortress of gothic style. It was  built in the middle of the fifteenth century by the descendents of Don Pedro García Herrera, Marshall of Castile and nephew of the bishop of Palencia, Sancho de Rojas, founder of the entailed estate of Ampudia.

It is a building with trapezoidal ground plan. It had four square towers in the corners. The biggest one is the so called donjon. It has an elegant façade, symmetrically distributed and decorate with fine little towers of Flemish drawing.

One of the most important lords who owned the castle was the Count of Salvatierra, Don Pedro de Ayala, who joined the uprising against Carlos I “The Comunidades War”,  and was supported by the bishop Acuña in the Battle of Ampudia.

In the early seventeenth century the new owner was Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma and favorite of the King Felipe III. The King visited the village several times son the castle became occasional seat of the court.

Since then, the castle will suffer a long period of neglect until 1960 when it was bought by Eugenio Fontaneda Pérez, who developed a hard process of restoration to recover this historical building, the best castle of Palencia without any doubt.

Due to this collecting works, the castle also houses a magnificent collection of artistic objects and antiques that can be admired in the several exhibition rooms.

ARCHEOLOGY ROOM

Many archaeological pieces from ancient collections and chance finds can be seen in this room.

The initiative of Eugenio Fontaneda has preserved these pieces avoiding their loss or dispersion.

They are pieces from various historical periods, Bronze, Iron, Roman and Visigoth Ages… found mainly in the province of Palencia.

It can be emphasized the important collection of armaments from Bronze Age with axes, tips, daggers, swords, etc. and also the tombstones from Roman Age.

SACRED ART ROOMS

These rooms are dedicated to the exhibition of artistic works and liturgical objects whose production has traditionally been very important in Castilian art.

Polychrome sculptures, paintings, liturgical furniture and articles of precious metals are shown in these rooms.

Il should be stressed the marvellous group of sculptures of the Calvary, made from walnut wood. This work belongs to the mannerist trend of Roman influence of the Basque sculptor Juan de Ancheta.

TOYS ROOM

Next to the mentioned halls, a small room allows the visitor to go briefly back to the magic world of childhood; old dolls and tin toys, puppets, bright-coloured cars, automatons, doll’s houses…, will be a delightful experience for nostalgic people.

PHARMACY

In this room it has been possible to reproduce the mysterious atmosphere of medieval pharmacies; the fireplaces with its still, the shelves full of ceramic pots, and also many instrumental for curative practice compete with other objects of fantastic character as the big anaconda snake, the amputation chair or the remarkable skull of a witch inside a hanging cage.

ARMS ROOM

It houses a complete collection of arms, from sharp instruments used as weapons to firearms, with them the visitor can follow the evolution of this kind of pieces along the History, including curious examples from exotic places. In this room there is also a collection of different musical machines: music boxes, hurdy-gurdies and phonographs.

 ETNOGRAPHY AND POPULAR ART ROOM

This room was originally destines to house the troops. In it there is a silo to keep cereals. In this room there are now a great many objects related to every life of the people from “Tierra de Campos”, and also their artistic productions, full of the charm of popular things.

PARADE GROUDN

The arcades in the flanks give shelter to interesting artistic objects that cannot be ignored: coats of arms, baptismal fonts, architectural elements,…

OPENING TIMES

 On Winter :

-         Individual visit : Saturdays from 11’30 to 14’30pm (last admission 13’30pm.)

-         Groups visits :  seven days a week, calling previously: 629 768247 / 979 768023

 On summer:  July, August, and the half of September

-         Individual visit :

o       Saturdays from 11’30 to 14’30pm (last admission 13’30pm.)

o       Saturdays afternoon at 18’30pm and at 19’30pm.

o       Sundays morning at 12’00pm and at 13’00pm.

-         Groups visits :  seven days a week, calling previously: 629 768247 / 979 768023