The House of the Seven Chimneys, or La Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, is one of the most renowned haunted houses in Madrid. It is believed to be haunted by a woman who can be seen floating above the property's seven chimneys.
Have you ever heard amazing stories about an senior haunted house in Spain? For centuries, locals have told stories about obscure secrets and ghostly figures within its walls. No wonder this mysterious building has become a popular destination for those looking for an exhilarating adventure. In this article, we will take a look at this legendary haunted house and discover its hidden secrets.
The House of the Seven Chimneys, La Casa de las Siete Chimeneas is the building that currently houses the headquarters of the Spanish Ministry of Culture in Madrid at the Plaza del Rey in Madrid. The name comes from the seven chimneys built into the house and what legends say they represent: the Seven Deadly Sins.
Who lived in the House of the Seven Chimneys?
It is one of the oldest mansions in Madrid, and many of them lived inside the walls. There are also several conflicting legends about who it was built for.
One of them claims that the house was built by Philip II for his illegitimate daughter in the 1570s or 1580s. Today it is located almost in the heart of the city, but then it was a country house on the outskirts of Madrid, surrounded by orchards and gardens, far from from the bustling city. It was also the perfect place to hide people.
It is said that the daughter went mad, locked herself in the house and died. Why she died is not specified, but it is believed that she now haunts the house.
Women in chimneys
One of the ghosts said to haunt the place is a woman hovering above seven chimneys. Could this be the ghost of his illegitimate daughter whom he supposedly isolated in this house? Or maybe it was one of his lovers?
She is believed to be the spirit of Elena, the lover of King Philip II. In some versions she was the daughter of one of his knights, perhaps she was both. In this version, Elena was actually married to Captain Zapata of the royal army and this was their marital home. He was a man who fell in love with her when he saw her, but immediately after his marriage he had to fight in the Battle of San Quintin.
He died in the Battle of Flanders just a few weeks after their wedding, and it is said that Elena died of grief immediately afterwards. In some versions, she took her own life in one of the rooms of the house.
Lover murdered by the king
Some, however, claim that this version of her story is incorrect and that she did not die of a broken heart or by her own hand, but was murdered by the king to hide her secrets. What secrets? Well, as her mistress, she knew too much and perhaps the child was evidence of an infidelity that the king did not want to leave alive.
It was said that she was stabbed and her body was hidden. King Felipe initiated an investigation that implicated her father as the killer. He ended up committing suicide by hanging himself from the beams in his house.
Because according to some legends circulating around the house, it is said that she gave birth to a daughter who was born after her marriage to the captain, but there were rumors that this daughter was actually the king's child and these rumors had to be silenced.
Elena's haunting
There have been many alleged sightings of these ghosts, with most of them coming from what was believed to be Elena's bedroom. She is seen appearing in a room and then suddenly disappearing, just as the story says her dead body did.
It was said that at night Elena's handprint touched the window, and a female apparition walked around the house and lit a torch on the roof between the seven chimneys. It is said that these apparitions continued for many nights
Skeletons found
At the end of the 19th century, renovations were carried out, thanks to which the building became the headquarters of Banco de Castilla around 1881.
During the renovation, the woman's bones and several coins from the 16th century, from the times in which she was supposed to have lived, were found in the basement. Perhaps that was when the legends about the unfortunate lover really gained steam.
Many today believe that these are Elena's bones and that she was murdered to silence her about her affair with the king and the child that people believed was his.
Other ghost legends from the house
The ghost of an illegitimate daughter or mistress are not the only spirits believed to haunt these halls and perhaps even the roof.
It is also said that the ghost of a butler wanders around the house near the front door. He is believed to have been among those killed during the Esquilache riots that occurred at the residence.
There is also a terrifying legend about a youthful woman who lived during the time of Philip II. According to legend, she died on her wedding night with an senior Indian landowner. It seems that she also had some unfinished business with her king, as she was allegedly found with a dagger in her chest in the basement, with money from the king lying around her.
The truth about the House of the Seven Chimneys
We don't really know who the woman found in the basement with a bag of coins from that period was. She will remain nameless, her spirit wanders on the roof among the seven chimneys
Reference:
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