Palaces, manors and town halls in Spain

Palace of Charles V

The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building located on the top of the hill of the Assabica, inside the Nasrid fortification of the Alhambra. The building has never been a home to a monarch and stood roofless until 1957. The structure was commanded by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who wished to establish his residence close to the Alhambra palaces. Although the Catholic Monarchs had already altered some rooms of ...
Founded: 1526 | Location: Granada, Spain

Pazo de Raxoi

At the beginning of 1760, Archbishop Rajoy comissioned Lucas Ferro Caaveiro to design the plans to erect a building in Plaza del Obradoiro, to house the Local Council, the prison and the Confessors Seminary. Claims brought by the Hospital Real delayed the work and caused a change in architect and a modification to the extension and height of the building. Finally, the French engineer Charles Lemaur began the work in 1767. ...
Founded: 1767 | Location: Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city of Madrid, but it is only used for state ceremonies. Several rooms in the palace are regularly open to the public except during state functions. The palace is located on the site of a 9th-century Alcázar (Muslim-era fortress), near the town of Magerit, constructed as an outpost by Muhammad I of C ...
Founded: 1738-1755 | Location: Madrid, Spain

Cybele Palace

The Cybele Palace (Palacio de Cibeles) is currently the seat of the City Council, it opened in 1919 as the headquarters of Correos, the Spanish postal and telecommunications service. It was designed by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi. Like the eighteenth century fountain in front of it, the palace has become an emblematic monument of the city.  
Founded: 1907 | Location: Madrid, Spain

Royal Palace of La Almudaina

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, Spanish Palacio Real de La Almudaina, is the Alcázar (fortified palace) of Palma, the capital city of the Island of Majorca, Spain. Built as an Arabian Fort, the crown claimed it as official royal residence in the early 14th century. Inside are many empty rooms, however, when King James II began restoration, his design plan included the encompassing of the small, romanesque Chap ...
Founded: 14th century | Location: Palma, Spain

Generalife

The Palacio de Generalife was the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada. The palace and gardens were built during the reign of Muhammed II (1273-1302), Sultan of Granada, and later by Muhammed III (1302–1309). They were redecorated shortly after by Abu I-Walid Isma"il (1313–1324). Much of the garden is a recent reconstruction of dubious authenticity. The complex consists ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Granada, Spain

Guzmanes Palace

The current headquarters of the the provincial government is one of the most beautiful palaces in the León. The Palacio de los Guzmanes construction took place between 1559 and 1572 in the lands where the old city wall used to stand. The construction work was never finished and the palace deteriorated until i tended up abandoned. In 1882 it was purchased by the provincial government  for its recovery, and since then, a ...
Founded: 1559-1572 | Location: León, Spain

Casa Botines

The Casa Botines (built 1891-1892) is a Modernist building in León, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It was adapted to serve as the headquarters of Caja España, a local savings bank. While Gaudí was finishing the construction of the Episcopal Palace of Astorga, his friend and patron, Eusebi Güell recommended that he build a house in the center of León. Simón Fernández and Mariano Andrés, the owners of a com ...
Founded: 1891-1892 | Location: León, Spain

Casa Consistorial de Sevilla

The Casa consistorial de Sevilla is a Plateresque-style building in Plaza Nueva, currently home of the city"s government. The work begin under architect Diego de Riaño, who directed the work between 1527 and his death in 1534. He was commissioned to construct a stone building, durable and with a façade to the Plaza Mayor in front of the convent of San Francisco. He executed what is now the southern section of the ...
Founded: 1527 | Location: Seville, Spain

Casa de las Conchas

The Casa de las Conchas is a historical building in Salamanca. It currently houses a public library. It was built from 1493 to 1517 by Rodrigo Arias de Maldonado, a knight of the Order of Santiago de Compostela and a professor in the University of Salamanca. Its most peculiar feature is the façade, mixing late Gothic and Plateresque style, decorated with more than 300 shells, symbol of the order of Santiago, as ...
Founded: 1493-1517 | Location: Salamanca, Spain

Episcopal Palace

The Episcopal Palace of Murcia is a historic building located in Cardenal Belluga Square. It is the official headquarter of the Diocese of Cartagena. Built in the 18th century with very unique architectural elements, it is one of the most important works of monumental heritage in Murcia. Several master stonemasons collaborated in its construction. It is a magnificent example of rococo style, with a square floor plan, betw ...
Founded: 1738-1754 | Location: Murcia, Spain

Palace of the Countess of Lebrija

The Lebrija Palace or Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija is a house-museum in central Seville. Dating to the 16th century and remodeled between the 18th and 20th centuries, the palace is characterised by its collection of art, including Roman mosaics and other antiquities as well as Asian art, paintings by European masters and European decorative arts. The interior of the palace is decorated in a palette of architectural s ...
Founded: 16th century | Location: Seville, Spain

Vázquez de Molina Palace

The Vazquez de Molina Palace, also known as the Palace of the Chains is a renaissance palace in Úbeda (Jaén). It is considered to be one of the best examples of the Renaissance architecture in Spain. The palace was built by Juan Vazquez de Molina, nephew of Francisco de los Cobos, and secretary of State for Philip II. The project was given to Andrés de Vandelvira who built it between 1546 and 1565. After the deat ...
Founded: 1546-1565 | Location: Úbeda, Spain

Casa de Pilatos

La Casa de Pilatos (Pilate"s House) serves as the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli. It is an example of an Italian Renaissance building with Mudéjar elements and decorations. This beautiful mansion is one of central Seville’s hidden treasures, and its exquisite gardens, though smaller in scale, match anything you’ll see in the Alcázar. The construction, which is adorned with precious azulejo tile ...
Founded: 1483 | Location: Seville, Spain

Bilbao City Hall

The City Hall is located on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao across the Puente del Ayuntamiento bascule bridge that links it to the central Abando district. The building was built in 1892 by Joaquín Rucoba, on the former site of a convent in the district of Uribarri. It was built in Baroque style. One of the highlights of the building is the Arab Hall, a richly decorated hall in the Neo-Mudéjar style that ...
Founded: 1892 | Location: Bilbao, Spain

Royal Palace of Olite

The Palace of the Kings of Navarre of Olite was one of the seats of the Court of the Kingdom of Navarre, since the reign of Charles III 'the Noble' until its conquest by Castile (1512). The fortification is both castle and palace, although it was built more like a courtier building to fulfill a military function. On an ancient Roman fortification was built during the reign of Sancho VII of Navarre (13th century ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Olite, Spain

Fuensalida Palace

The Palace of Fuensalida was built at the end of the first half of the 15th century by Pedro López de Ayala, the first lord of Fuensalida, is the best palace exponent of the Toledan Mudéjar, a historical typology that is scarce in Toledo built heritage, where merge three styles: Gothic, Plateresque and Mudéjar. It is integrated in a big block, which also includes the Taller del Moro and the Iglesia de Santo Tomé, w ...
Founded: 15th century | Location: Toledo, Spain

Royal Casino of Murcia

Royal Casino of Murcia is a jewel of eclecticism located in the heart of the historical centre Murcia. It is a unique building from an architectural point of view, located in an emblematic place in the capital, Trapería Street, of which it is a hallmark. Its construction began in 1847. The building is a mixture of different artistic currents that coexisted in the second half of the 19th and early 20th century in Spain an ...
Founded: 1847 | Location: Murcia, Spain

Episcopal Palace

The Episcopal Palace of Astorga is a building by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. It was built between 1889 and 1913. Designed in the Catalan Modernisme style, it is one of only three buildings by Gaudi outside Catalonia. When the original Episcopal Palace was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century, Bishop Grau decided to assign the design of the new building to his friend Antoni Gaudí. The two had become frie ...
Founded: 1889-1913 | Location: Astorga, Spain

Royal Palace of Aranjuez

Palacio Real de Aranjuez is a former Spanish royal residence. It was established around the time Philip II of Spain moved the capital from Toledo to Madrid. Aranjuez became one of four seasonal seats of government, occupied during the springtime (from about holy week). Thereafter, the court moved successively to Rascafría, El Escorial and wintered in Madrid. Aranjuez Cultural Landscape is an UNESCO World Heritag ...
Founded: 16th century | Location: Aranjuez, Spain

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Krickenbeck Castle

Krickenbeck moated castle is one of the oldest on the lower Rhine. Its history dates back to the year 1104, when the castle was first mentioned. It is unclear why the old castle, which was certainly inhabited by Count Reginar, was abandoned or destroyed. In the mid-13th century the castle was moved to the current location. At the end of the 14th century the new castle belonged to the Counts of Kleve.

Johann Friedrich II of Schesaberg converted the castle into a Baroque mansion between 1708-1721. On September 7, 1902, a fire destroyed the entire mansion. From 1903 to 1904, a three-winged castle was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. Today Krickenbeck is a conference center.