Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Palacio Episcopal, Salamanca (Franco HQ 1936–37)
City site
The story
After his investiture as head of state, Franco moved his headquarters to Salamanca, installing himself in the bishop's palace beside the cathedrals, lent by Bishop Enrique Pla y Deniel — whose 1936 pastoral 'Las dos ciudades' framed the war as a crusade. From here Franco directed the attack on Madrid, the war in the North and the unification of Falange and Carlists (April 1937). German and Italian envoys and the press office operated nearby, making Salamanca the rebel zone's working capital until the move to Burgos. In October 1936 the nearby University hall saw Unamuno's famous clash with General Millán-Astray.
What you can see today
The palace facade on Plaza Juan XXIII next to the New Cathedral; since 2023 it houses the Museo Diocesano (Fernando Gallego paintings and sacred art).
Plan your visit
Museum opening hours and ticket apply; exterior free. Easily combined with the Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica five minutes away.
- Price
- Free with the Salamanca Cathedral ticket
Checked September 2026 from official sources: catedralsalamanca.org, turismocastillayleon.com, diocesisdesalamanca.com. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- mapcarta.com/W666407266
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_Episcopal_de_Salamanca
- cultura.jcyl.es/web/jcyl/Cultura/es/Plantilla100Detalle/1284282053297/_/1284437170684/DirectorioPadre
Nearby sites
- Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica, Salamanca · under 1 km
- Alto del León (south side), Guadarrama · 131 km
- Valle de Cuelgamuros (former Valle de los Caídos) · 132 km
- Blockhaus 13, Colmenar del Arroyo · 138 km
- Fresnedillas de la Oliva bunkers · 139 km
- La Granja offensive – the battlefield above La Granja (Cabeza Grande, Matabueyes) · 140 km
All 158 sites in Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 →
The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
A free field guide for your phone: the route, the maps and the stories built in, even with no signal. The battlefields, trenches, ruined villages, shelters, museums and memorials of the Spanish Civil War across the whole of Spain, told fairly from both sides.
Open the guide