Palace of the Countess of Lebrija, Seville, Spain

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 styles, with elements such as Moorish arches, Plateresque decoration, tilework retrieved from ruined convent, a coffered ceiling from a 16th-century palace and a Renaissance frieze, while its façade and layout reflect typical Andalusian style.

The collection includes Roman mosaics that pave almost the entire ground floor. Of particular note is the mosaic depicting the god Pan that was discovered on land owned by the countess and can be found in the palace’s central courtyard. The mosaic’s central medallion represents Pan, who is serenading Galatea on his flute, while the other medallions show the love stories of Zeus and the corners contain representations of the four seasons.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in Spain

User Reviews

Catherine Petit (3 years ago)
It is a palace. Filled with art affects she collected. Very interesting.

fara diana (3 years ago)
The palace is really spectacular. It is divided into two levels. In the ground level, pictures and videos are allowed but not in the upper level. To visit the upper level, it must be with the authorized guide.

Viorel Mocanu (3 years ago)
Guide spoke awful English. Place was full of dust and smelled really bad. Art gallery is a scam (just 2 paintings). The house and decor, however, were interesting enough to make it bearable. Ah, and no photos on the 1st floor...

Thais Adamowicz (3 years ago)
It's nice, but not worth for the price you pay. There are more interesting, bigger and more significant things in Seville you can see for half of this price.

Paul Herman (3 years ago)
Fantastic! A gem among all of the extraordinary buildings and collections in Seville. Guadalupe, who runs the place, is charming and well-informed, too. The Countess (died at 87 in 1999 when the house was opened to the public) had exceptional good taste and willingness to put her rare collection of art (Moorish, Spanish and, above all, Roman) first. Even redesigning rooms to house the items better (like perfectly preserved ancient Roman mosaic floors). Must not be missed while visiting Seville!

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Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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