His grandson Francis Franco accused the government ... by the local authority that said the 1941 sale of the palace to Franco was not a genuine contract, and therefore fraudulent.

Franco took full possession of the palace, bought with public donations in 1938 during the civil war, in his name in 1941, and used it as the official summer residence.

The discovery last month that Franco's grandchildren had put the sturdy Pazo de Meirás palace up for sale was the last straw for politicians who want to see the fortified building and grounds ...