Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, Madrid

Casa de las Siete Chimeneas is a historic house whose name comes from the seven chimneys rising above its roof. It was already standing before 1570, and its design is attributed to Juan Bautista de Toledo and Antonio Sillero, with later work by Juan de Herrera. As local legend has it, a young widow died here after her husband was killed in war; the tale says her body vanished, and a pale female figure later appeared among the chimneys.

The documented history is equally striking: the Marquis of Esquilache lived here, and a riot triggered by his clothing regulations led to the house being ransacked. In 1881 it was restored for a bank. Under Primo de Rivera, it became the first home of the Lyceum Club Femenino, which supported women’s access to education and employment. It now contains culture-ministry offices.