The ruins of the House of Pedro Madruga, the noble pioneer of firearms in Galicia

In the history of Galicia in the Late Middle Ages, one of the best-known names is that of Pedro Álvarez de Sotomayor (1430-1486).

A little-known detail of the battlements of one of the largest castles in Galicia
The Krak des Chevaliers, a great Crusader fortress that was conquered by deception

Without a doubt, the name by which he is best known is Pedro Madruga, a nickname given to him due to his habit of fighting at night, something that was not common at that time. This Galician nobleman, born in Pontevedra, was Marshal of Bayona, Viscount of Tuy and Count of Caminha (Portugal), and is known for being the one who introduced the first firearms in Galicia, specifically arquebuses and small cannons. Madruga was one of the nobles who faced the Irmandiña Revolt (1467-1469), a popular revolt against the Galician nobility.

Today, in the enormous Monterreal Castle, in Bayona (Pontevedra), an old ruined building popularly known as the House of Pedro Madruga, which I already told you about in 2012 is preserved. Built in the second half of the 15th century, this mansion was located next to the Baluarte del Medio, in the southern part of the fortress, next to the gate (below these lines) that connected the second walled enclosure with the first.

As you saw here in 2012, Pedro Madruga's House has two floors and is divided into two rooms. The upper floor was most likely the nobleman's residence. A large fireplace still remains in its southwest corner, although the floor between the two floors has disappeared. The lower floor was possibly used as stables.

In 1497, the Catholic Monarchs granted a charter for 200 residents of Bayonne to settle inside this fortress, a settlement that became known as the town of Monte-Real, after the name of the castle. This town had a population of 650 in its heyday, and was accessed through the Puerta del Sol, located next to the Clock Tower, in the southern part of the walled enclosure, where the flags of Spain, Galicia, and Bayonne now fly.

By the early 17th century, there were only 250 residents left in this town. In 1656, Juan Feijóo de Sotomayor, field master and military governor of Bayonne, ordered the destruction of 400 houses that were still inside the walls. In 2020, Atlántico Diario reported that the foundations of these old houses remained inside the castle until the 19th century, when the conservative politician José Elduayen Gorriti (1823-1898), then owner of the castle, ordered them removed. However, the Casa de Madruga remained where it was.

After serving as a stately home, Pedro Madruga House was used as a storehouse for grenades, gunpowder, and cannonballs for the castle's artillery batteries, and was known as the "Madruga's Warehouse". Today, the building is in ruins and increasingly overgrown, which now almost obscures the chimney. According to Atlántico Diario, a renovation project for this building was drawn up in 2009, but 16 years later it remains sadly abandoned.

Last weekend I visited the castle and had the opportunity to get up close to this house, taking these photos of its current state and also the following video:

You can see more photos of this house on my Flickr account.