Casa de Pilatos, Sevilla

The Palace of the Dukes Medinaceli is called Casa de Pilatos because the Holy Week Procession started from here, ending in Cruz del Campo just like Jesus Christ had left the house of Pilate to go to Golgotha.

On the façade can be seen 2 tablets which mark the beginning of the Via Crucis.

The large marble portal was carried out in 1583 by the Italian artist Antonio Maria de Aprile.

The building is in Renaissance style and most of it was by the 2 brothers Aprile together with Bernardino de Bisono.
There are several flowered Gothic elements and Mudejar decorations. The palace is a clear example of the 16th Century style.
The magnificent patio is 25 metres in length and 25 wide!
In the middle is a beasutiful fountain (for more photos go to my TRAVELOGUES..)

There are beautiful statues, a lovely garden and....don't forget to buy a double ticket if you also want to see the first floor where guided tours are given at certain hours. I had one myself and can recommend it to you!

The building is considered one of the most beautiful of SEVILLE and will make you think the the world-famous ALHAMBRA IN GRANADA see my GRANADA/ALHAMBRA PAGE, CLICK HERE...

The House of Pilate also houses an enormous archive that is of historical importance...

Don't forget to take plenty of time to roam the gardens....

PILATOS' HOUSE: So named because it is believed to have been built according to the lay-out of Pontius Pilate’s palace. Built in 1500 to the orders of the Governer Pedro Enriquez and his wife Catalina de Ribera, continued by their son Fadrique, first Marquese of Tarifa, on returning from a three year journey to the Holy Land, and finished by Per Afán, first Duke of Alcalá and Viceroy of Naples. Today it belongs to the Duke of Medinaceli. It is combination of Mudejar, Gothic and Plateresque styles. Of interest are the main Patio, the window with Plateresque grille, the Pretorium, the chapel, the staircase with magnificent gardens, above all the old one, where there are archaeological remains.

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One of the most beautiful palaces in Seville, la Casa de Pilatos dates from the first half of the 16th century. It was built by the Marquis of Tarifa after his journey through Italy and Palestine which inspired him to build a palace in a style mixing Italian Renaissance and Gothic with Islamic/mudéjar architecture. The result is a unique blend - showcased in the main courtyard, el Patio Principal - for which Seville has become well known. Other chambers of the palace also blend these styles and are equally impressive. Most notable is the staircase inside the house topped by a mudéjar dome modelled after the dome in Salón de los Embajadores in Real Alcázar. La Casa de Pilatos derives its name from Pontius Pilates, whose Jerusalem villa it is said to resemble. Despite still serving as a residence (of the Dukes of Medinaceli), the palace is open to visitors and displays a wide range of artwork and sculptures, including ones dating from Roman times. For more photos of the art and architecture of this palace, take a look at the travelogue: "Casa de Pilatos."

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Casa de Pilatos was built in 1521 by the Marquis de Tarifa after his trip to the Holy Land where, according to legend, he was inspired by the ruined house in Jerusalem from which Pontius Pilate is said to have governed.

The main entrance, modeled after an ancient Roman triumphal arch, is fashioned from bronze, jasper, and Carrara marble, and the overall effect is one of imperial Roman grandeur.

One of the most interesting aspects of this house is that it is two houses in one: downstairs is the summer home all in marble and gorgeous glazed ceramic tiles, open to the breezes, with gardens and fountains. Upstairs is the winter home with wood, rugs on floors, tapestries on the walls, tiny windows and huge fireplaces.

During the Black Plague (1649) and again during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the house was used as a hospital. In order to fight infection the walls and floors were regularly washed with lime. This regretfully only served to almost completely destroy the frescoes on the walls. You have to pay for a guided tour to go upstairs. Photos are not permitted in the upstairs rooms, but downstairs you can take pictures.

Downstairs each room is entered from the central patio. Upstairs it is possible to go from room to room without stepping out of doors into inclement weather.

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Our 'official' touring of Sevilla ended at the magnificent Casa de Pilatos, which just happened to be located next door to our accommodations at Hostal Atenas! If I had somehow managed to jump off our roof-top patio I might have been able to land in its Large Garden!

This historic residence owes its existance to the First Marquis of Tarifa who, following a tour (1518-1520) of Italy and the Holy Land, was so impressed with the new Renaissance architecture he had seen, that he decided to build himself a palace incorporating these new styles into the traditional Moorish themes used in Spain. It was given its present name because the result of his construction efforts was thought to look like Pontius Pilate's house in Jerusalem.

The opening view shows the large marble portal (designed by an Italian in 1529) which leads into the complex off Plaza de Pilatos. The interior ground-level tour costs 5 Euros per person and starts out from the impressive Main Courtyard (2nd photo) where a talk lasting about a half-hour is given explaining the history of the palace. The marble fountain in the centre also dates from the mid-1500s and various Greek and Roman statues are situated around the perimeter.

From there the tour takes visitors to both the Large and Small Gardens where a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers make for quite an exotic atmosphere, especially considering that it was late-December! The 3rd photo shows part of the upper floor residence of the present owners, the Dukes of Medinaceli, which is off-limits to tours. Over the years, various architectural styles have been incorporated into both the palace and its arches - including Gothic, Mudejar, Renaissance and Romantic themes. Casa Pilato also contains a small chapel and an exhibit room with a collection of historic scuptures.

This distinctive building has been for centuries the residence of the Duques de Medinacedli, once vice-kings of Naples.
The beautiful architecture is a mix of Gothic and Mudejar style; if you don't have much time, forget about the upper floor, whose interiors store some pretty paintings and offer a beautiful view over the patio, and concentrate on the lower floor, with the main courtyard (patio), built at the end of the XV century, and the two beautiful gardens, the "Large Garden" and the "Small garden", both fresh in summer and smelly in springtime, full of trees and flowers, really enchanting.

The building is open every day from 9 to 18 (in summer 9 to 19).
Visit to the Upper Floor are always carried out by a guide.
Ground floor visit costs Euro 5 (2008)
The complete visit costs Euro 8 (208)

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An very interesting and surprising palace.
Its not-as I thought- a rebuilt of the Pilato's house, but a palace built during the 15th and 16th centuries.Of course they modified some parts during the 3 centuries after.
The name of the palace is born with the "camino de la cruz" and the first station-where Pilate washes hands- was on the place in front of the palace, so for the sevillans the castle becomes Casa de Pilato....
You can feel here what was life for the rich part of the society...and enjoy the pleasure of such a garden in the warm and noisy center of Sevilla.

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Casa Pilatos is a private house open to the visitors.
It's like a small Alcazar and need be visited as well.
If your hotel is in the barrio santa cruz, this place is really worth the small trip.

For UE visitors, the tuesday afternoon from 1PM to 5PM the visit is FREE !
(bring your identification card or your passeport)

The casa de Pilatos is actually a small palace. It was called like this because it was thought to resemble Pontius Pilate's home in Jerusalem. Although built well after the moorish period, it was built in the Mudejar style. It is quite nice but little value for money. If you have time left, go there, but I would suggest, if you have little time, to skip this one.

The Casa Pilatos is a beautiful mudejar-style palace built in the 15th-16th century. On the central patio, you can admire beautiful 'azulejos', arcades and Greek and Roman statues.
Around the patio are some nice quarters and at the end you arrive in a magnificent garden.
Upstairs starts the guided tour, but this is less spectacular.
Have a look at my travelogues for more pictures.