Look for a grand, cream-colored rectangular building with three rows of decorative black balconies and three large front doors, one richly ornamented and set along Gravina Street.
Now, picture Alicante in the 18th century, when this impressive palace was built as the home of the distinguished Antonio Valcárcel Pío de Saboya, Count of Lumiares. Imagine the clack of horse hooves and the hustle on the old streets. This wasn’t just any house-oh no, it was expanded back in April 1770 by swallowing up two neighboring homes, proclaiming itself the grandest address of the street. The façade you see is both elegant and practical: the ground floor’s tall archways would have welcomed guests and maybe a few curious cats, while the noble floor above boasted big windows and balconies-perfect for sneaking a peek at the city’s gossip below! The highlight is the ornate central door that once greeted nobility and, I suspect, the occasional door-to-door guitar salesman. Today, the Gravina Palace stands as the Museum of Fine Arts, where the art inside might have been admired with the same awe as the street crowds watching the Count coming and going. Who knows what secrets those stones could hide?
