Casona de Tudanca
Manor house in Tudanca converted into a museum and library of José María de Cossío, with art, furniture and a literary archive.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Casona de Tudanca was built in 1752 on commission from Pascual Fernández de Linares, an indiano who had made his fortune in Peru and wanted to display it through his house. It is a complex building, with a tower over a passageway, a chapel and a dwelling with a stable on the ground floor, in whitewashed rubble masonry with ashlar quoins. The passageway is a right of way imposed by the municipal council and gives it an appearance rare among the manor houses of Cantabria.
The last owner was the writer and scholar José María de Cossío, who in May 1975 agreed with the Diputación Provincial de Santander to hand over the manor house, the adjoining estates and all their contents upon his death, in exchange for a life pension. Cossío died in 1977 and the Diputación turned the building into a museum-library, following the example of the Biblioteca de Menéndez Pelayo in Santander, of which he had been acting director in the 1930s. The museum began operating in 1982 and was reopened in July 2000 after further consolidation works. The core of Tudanca has been a historic-artistic ensemble since 1983.
It is not a museum in the usual sense, because the pieces reflect the tastes of Cossío and his ancestors: furniture acquired since 1752, paintings, prints and sculptures, embroidered textiles and, above all, the library and archive, with literary manuscripts, correspondence and photographs of the leading writers of the 20th century, especially the Generation of '27.
Highlights
- Manor house of 1752 with a tower over a passageway and private chapel
- Study-library of José María de Cossío
- Library and archive with manuscripts and correspondence of 20th-century writers
- Furniture, paintings, sculpture and textiles gathered by the family since the 18th century
- Tudanca, a historic-artistic ensemble of mountain rural architecture
Permanent exhibition
- Casona-museo de José María de Cossío – Guided tour of the rooms of the manor house, with furniture, paintings, textiles, the study-library and the chapel of San Antonio de Padua.
- Founded
- 1982
- Operated by
- Gobierno de Cantabria (Consejería de Cultura, Turismo y Deporte)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Children aged 4 to 12, large families, people over 65 or pensioners, unemployed people, students with a student card and people with a 65 % functional disability, with prior accreditation |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 3 · Reduced rate for ages 4 to 12; general admission applies from age 13. Free for ages 0 to 3. |
| Seniors | €2Reduced rate for people over 65 and pensioners, with accreditation. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2Reduced rate with a 65 % functional disability, with accreditation. |
| Students & apprentices | €2Reduced rate with a student card. |
| Groups (11+ people) | €2 per personGroups of 11 or more people. |
Free admission: Sundays
Free admission for ages 0 to 3, for members of ICOMOS, official guides of Cantabria, holders of the Pasaporte Cultura, teachers in active service (with accreditation) and on Sundays.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Vehicles are not allowed to circulate in the village. People with reduced mobility can drive as far as the manor house; the vehicle must then be parked in the car park at the entrance to the village and collected again after the visit.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
Car park at the entrance to the village, with spaces for buses and cars.
Tudanca lies in the Nansa valley and is reached via the CA-281 road, 18 km from Puentenansa and less than 35 km from the Cueva del Soplao. The village streets are narrow and steep, and the manor house is in the middle part of the settlement.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Visitor information point and toilets.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 50 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The visit begins with a guided tour of the main rooms, which explains the history of the house and the life of its last owner. While the guided tour lasts (20–30 minutes) the manor house remains closed to the public. Maximum capacity of 20 people per session. It can be visited without prior booking, subject to opening times and capacity; it is advisable to arrive 20 minutes before the session. |
