empty
At the end of the 18th century, the Government of San Lorenzo de El Escorial promoted its last great work for the Común de los Vecinos, consisting of a "Large house for wine storage, grocery store goods; fish, bacon and other branches and rooms".
In 1797, the urban centre of San Lorenzo was already consolidated, making it impossible to find a central location in which to build the building; therefore, the site occupied by the “Veeduría” was chosen for its placement.
The project is entrusted to Juan de Villanueva and his works are developed between 1797 and 1806. The construction is highlighted by the main facade made of granite ashlar, the access through a large central arch, and the arcades that form the inner courtyard.
Due to the growth in the number of pupils at the Real Comitiva's elementary school for children, located in the Casa de los Soportales since 1794, the governor proposed its relocation to this building, commissioning Juan de Villanueva to construct a new floor in 1806, which was accessed via Francisco Muñoz Street.
Both functions, the educational and the commercial, were maintained until 1873, when its poor condition forced the City Council to put its reconstruction up for auction. Following this work, which covered the inner courtyard, it became a building appreciated for its appropriate conditioning.
During the Civil War it must have suffered certain damage due to its abandonment, losing its upper glazing.
In 1949, the Mayor of San Lorenzo de El Escorial requested various works to prevent its collapse. In this way, the glazed roof was recovered using a skylight, the second floor was enclosed with the current gallery, and a T-shaped staircase was introduced between the first two levels. Shortly afterwards, the new skylight collapsed due to heavy snowfall.
One of the largest repair works was carried out in 1967, again due to the risk of the roof collapsing. At that time, the alley called del Repeso, located between the Market and the Cuartel de Inválidos, was covered, meeting the commercial space needs that arose at that moment.
Building constructed at the end of the 18th century by the Government of El Escorial as a warehouse for wines and goods, which became the public market of the Royal Site serving the local residents.