On the site was the vast Palacio de los Duques de Medina Sidonia (Los Guzmanes) which was destroyed after the Napoleonic invasion and there was built the mid-19th century Palacio del Marqués de Palomares.[1] In 1879 Don Juan Antonio Fernández de la Riva (Arriba), a prosperous Sevillian merchant bought the building located in Plaza del Duque, number 10, in an auction hosted by the Marquis of Palomares. He then founded the Almacenes del Duque (Stores of the Duke), placing on its roof a monumental overburden covering the courtyard and sold fabric, clothing, and drapery.
After his death, one of his children Manuel, a graduate in Law, Philosophy and Letters lived in the palace and made extensive changes to the residence. The place became Almacenes del Duque, an emblematic establishment dedicated to a local trade of textiles, clothing, and parcels.
Relatives and heirs of Manuel Fernández Escobar hired crews of masons to fix damages to the property caused by building age, humidity, and leaking roofs.[2]
Since 1960, efforts were made to sell the palace to various organizations such as the City Hall, Civil Government, Ministerial delegations, etc., but none of these public bodies were willing or could cope with the fees or repairs associated with the acquisition of this impressive property. In 1964, however, the building was acquired by Jorge Bardeau, sold to El Corte Inglés and then demolished.
