Cornide Palace-House was built in the mid-18th century by the lawyer Diego Cornide, father of the famous enlightened polygraph José de Cornide y Saavedra, who advised on the renovation of the Tower of Hercules.
It is an example of an urban aristocratic mansion, with impressive architecture and its location in a prominent place in the old town, just in front of the Collegiate Church of Santa María. The building was constructed by the local architect Antonio Fontenla and is notable for its carefully designed, French-inspired façade, which features the Cornide family coat of arms.
During the 19th century, the building was used as a Town Hall and at the start of the 20th century; it was used as the meeting place of the Jaiminista Centre and the Cultural Centre of St. Thomas Aquinas, and was frequently used for film screenings. In 1949, the house was bought by the Directorate-General for Heritage with a view to converting it into a music conservatory. This project was never completed and in 1962 it passed into the hands of the A Coruña city council, by means of an exchange with other properties. That same year, Pedro Barrié de la Maza acquired the house at public auction for 305,000 pesetas and a few days later it was sold to Franco’s wife, Carmen Polo, for a mere 25,000 pesetas.