If you’re going to have a Siglo de Oro (or Spanish Golden Age) story like the one in “Man of La Mancha,” you need a suitable backdrop. That’s just fact.
So when Lyric Stage told us that they’d be staging the musical, which tells the classic canon of Don Quixote, we knew we should find a home to match.
But what should that look like? After all, a lot of Spanish architecture during the Siglo de Oro could be rather austere. Juan de Herrera, who is one of the more recognizable names of the time period, was known for his purist structures with sober decoration, so much so that Herrerian and clasicismo are pretty much synonymous.
But then, we found our match in El Escorial — a historical residence of the king of Spain in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The El Real Monasterio El Escorial is rather sober. But La Granjilla de La Fresneda, the royal hunting lodge? Let’s just say its got a lot in common with this listing we found Old Preston Hollow.
For the uninitiated, “Man of La Mancha” is the story of Miguel de Cervantes, aging Spaniard who, along with his manservant, is awaiting trial by the Spanish Inquisition. He’s a complete failure at pretty much every single career he’s tried, including playwright, poet and tax collector.
In the course of explaining himself to his fellow prisoners, he assumes the role of Don Quixote de La Mancha, and tells a tale of his travels and “The Impossible Dream.”
And this listing at 5830 Falls Road captures, especially in the exterior, that aesthetic we expect when someone says “Spanish-style.” But that it’s also quite close to being a dead ringer for La Granjilla, which was built during the Golden Age of Spain, when Don Quixote (the story on which “Man of La Mancha” is based) was written, makes it especially appropriate.
That’s not to say that Don Quixote or Miguel de Cervantes (or Sancho Panza, or Aldonza, or Antonia, or, well, you get the picture) would be able to afford this house. But the royalty that used La Granijlla? Sí.
This six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bath mansion has 11,774 square feet of space and zero windmills. While it’s relatively new construction, the exterior screams Spanish-style, while the interior is nothing less than luxe, with a dramatic entry, double volume ceilings in the formal spaces, two additional living areas, and a large gourmet kitchen.
The master suite is huge, with a sitting room, fireplace and bar area, and overlooks the outdoor areas and pool. It also boasts his and hers bathrooms and a large master closet.
Outside, a pool and loggia beckon and complete the substantial entertainment space this home offers.
Priced at $4.395 million, it’s currently offered for $900,000 less than the last appraisal. It’s listed by Kimberly Ashmore with Allie Beth Allman and Associates.
Want to see more? Click here. To get your tickets to “Man of La Mancha,” which starts June 14, as well as check out the next season of Lyric Stage, click here.
