Legal battle over Franco's house

By Danny Wood
BBC News, Madrid

Gen Franco came to power after victory in the civil war in 1939

The Spanish authorities have filed a legal suit against the family of Spain's former military ruler General Francisco Franco.

The Galician regional government wants to examine the contents of Gen Franco's holiday home to assess the possibility of opening it to the public.

The Franco family has refused to allow this inspection.

This is the first time such action has been taken in Spain against the family of Gen Franco, who died in 1975.

Gift

Galicia's government wants to examine the 19th Century mansion, known as Pazo de Meiras, which is a listed building.

But the family - which still uses it for vacations - has refused the request.

In response, the Galician authorities are taking the family to court and say they have filed their case with a local judge.

The mansion of Pazo de Meiras was given to Gen Franco as a gift by local leaders after Spain's civil war.

The present was bought with money from the salaries of government workers.

Historians say the mansion could contain part of an important library belonging to its former owner, writer Emilia Pardo Bazan.

There is considerable local resentment about how the property ended up in Gen Franco's hands.

The wealth of the family of Gen Franco - much of it accumulated during his regime - is well known in Spain.