Currently, it is not only one of the most beautiful streets in Spain but also considered an emblem of the city, classified as a Cultural Interest Property (BIC) in the monument category for the past thirty years.
Lodares, who had been the mayor of Albacete between 1903 and 1905, promoted the construction of the passage that bears his name. In fact, at the two entrances to the passage, on Mayor Street and Tinte Street, his initials are engraved on the forged iron gates, which are closed at night as they belong to a private communal property.
The building, with five floors, is crossed by a covered passage with a two-sloped iron structure and glass panels, declared a BIC in March 1996.
The project’s price is unknown
According to reports stored in the Municipal Archive of Albacete, the two facades of the Passage are not symmetrical, and the one on Mayor Street is narrower, as there were difficulties in acquiring the house next to it at the time of construction.
Gabriel Lodares commissioned the design of the passage to Buenaventura Ferrando Castells, an architect from Sueca (Valencia), who also carried out other works in Albacete. The project’s price is not documented in the Archive.
Inside the Pasaje Lodares, the columns that separate the commercial premises stand out, as well as its ornamentation, glass roof, and the facades of the upper dwellings with a grating designed by the local artisan José Tejados.
The Pasaje Lodares de Albacete, «a luxury»
The Pasaje Lodares, one of the most photographed spots by visitors to Albacete, features allegorical figures in the form of caryatids representing Industry (a gear wheel), the Wealth of the Earth (a cornucopia), the Poetic Arts (playing a Lyre), and the Liberal Arts (a small sculpture and a hammer).
Currently, the ground floor houses hospitality businesses, a lottery administration, a pharmacy, among others.
One of the oldest businesses is Cuchillería El Artesano, where you can purchase the famous knives and pocket knives from Albacete, as well as other souvenirs to take back from your visit to Albacete.
Iván Cabañero, one of the brothers now running the business, mentioned to EFE that he and his brother represent the third generation at the helm of this store, opened by their grandfather, and where their father also worked with the most typical products of Albacete, knives, and pocket knives.
«This is the jewel of Albacete,» Cabañero emphasizes about the Pasaje Lodares, stating that «everyone who comes to Albacete must pass through the Pasaje Lodares, which is a beauty,» and acknowledges that «it is a luxury to be here, on one of the most beautiful streets in Spain.»
This cutlery shop has customers from various locations, both from Spain and other countries, with the most sought-after souvenir being «a knife or pocket knife from Albacete.»
A tourist attraction
The Provincial Association of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Albacete (APEHT) has launched various initiatives with the Pasaje Lodares as the protagonist because «it is an emblem of the city, a reference point, and a tourist attraction,» as stated to EFE by the president, David Giménez, who also leads the Regional Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Castilla La Mancha.
«It is one of the most beautiful streets in Spain and one of the main attractions that we use to shape our tourism products,» he affirmed.
In 2023, the Regional Government renovated the flooring of the Pasaje Lodares with the aim of replacing the concrete cobblestone pavement with natural stone pieces while preserving the appearance of the passage.
The ceilings of the two entrance arcades were also restored, repairing the cracks, and the two wrought iron gates of the entrances were painted, while the travertine facades were cleaned.