Building works started in the latter half of the 17th century by Captain Juan Manuel Delgado, a restless businessman who bonded his estate in a trust to avoid it being divided. The Róo, Montemayor and Ossuna families successively owned the property until Manuel de Ossuna y Benítez de Lugo (1896-1958) inherited the legacy as we know it today. Learned in history and a passionate collector, he gathered a set of documents, objects and art pieces in his house. These are currently taken care of by La Laguna Town Council.
The house is located in calle Juan de Vera, nº 4, and was built following the usual design for urban domestic architecture. It is three storeys high and documents of the time called this type of buildings “casas altas y sobradadas” [high and wealthy homes] or “casas-granero” [barn houses]. It has a continuous balcony on the third floor. The façade features plain walls, whitewashed masonry, visible corner stones, regular openings and large wooden windows. The hallway leads to the main courtyard and there are also a side courtyard and a backyard. Originally, the servants’ quarters were on the ground floor while the family house occupied the first floor. The house currently keeps the personal property Manuel de Ossuna left to the Town of La Laguna and the building is expected to be opened to the public as a House Museum.
