A place you can’t miss is Pasaje de Lodares, a true architectural gem and one of the main attractions of the “Must-see places in Albacete” project.
Located in the heart of the city, this iconic shopping arcade connects Calle Mayor with Calle del Tinte along 74 metres of elegance and history.
It was built during the interwar period by commission of businessman Gabriel Lodares and designed by architect Buenaventura Ferrando Castells, for home and commercial purposes, following a trend that started in Spain during the reign of Isabel II. Gabriel Lodares commissioned it to be built in a way that it replicated the Italian shopping centres of that time.
With an eclectic style, it blends modernist, neo-Baroque, and historicist influences and was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1996. As you walk through it, you’ll discover a unique space with columns, allegorical sculptures dedicated to Industry, the Wealth of the Earth, the Poetic and Liberal Arts, as well as the emblematic heads of Mercury, the god of commerce.
The passageway is crowned by an iron and glass skylight that floods the entire passage with natural light, and its wrought iron entrances reflect the artistic care taken throughout. The monumentally balanced door on Calle del Tinte contrasts with the narrower entrance on Calle Mayor, the result of an interesting urban legend.
At night, this city icon is closed to the public, preserving its magic until the following day.
Visiting Pasaje de Lodares is like discovering one of the most beautiful covered streets in Spain. A moving place that captivates you and makes you want to return.
