Casa de Pilatos, Seville © Michelle Chaplow |
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Casa de Pilatos
La Casa de Pilatos (Pilate's House) is the finest example of a civil (as opposed to royal) palace in Seville. The building is a mixture of Italian Renaissance and Spanish Mudéjar adorned with precious tiles, and has well-kept gardens.
The initial construction of the palace was begun by Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones, IV Chief Governor of Andalucía, and his second wife Catalina de Rivera, founder of the Casa de Alcalá, on land seized from a Jewish family in the Inquisition. The price paid for the land by Pedro Enriquez was unusually high, as the palace a reliable water supply, via the Caños de Carmona aqueduct.
The palace was completed by their son Fadrique Enríquez de Rivera, 1st Marquis of Tarifa, known as Don Fadrique, and grandson Pere Afan de Ribera. More History >
The Casa de Pilatos is famous for its magnificent patio and gardens, while the coloured azulejos (ceramic tiles) are considered to be among the finest in Seville.
This area was originally an orchard and vegetable garden. Per Afán Enríquez de Ribera had amassed such a collection of classical statues that instead of modifying the existing palace to display… More →
The upper floor can only be visited as part of a 30-minute guided tour which departs at regular intervals in different languages. The rooms on the upper floor form part of the private residence… More →
Casa de Pilatos, like many palaces, has its own chapel. The oldest room in the palace, this has both Muslim and Christian elements, with a wide entrance arch finely decorated with Mudejar… More →
Located beneath the Tower, this room corresponds to one of the quadras of the traditional palace's layout: an elongated room with square chambers in each corner. It also inherited some… More →
The single grand staircase to the top floor Winter Palace is decorated with tiles and a cupola ceiling of Mudéjar honeycomb, made by Cristobal Sanchez and inspired by the Ambassador's Hall in the… More →
The Gold Room, although small, is one of the most extravagant with its gold-leaf coffered ceiling. Looking onto the Small Garden, this room's decoration is Mudejar, plus sculptures and busts… More →
Until the beginning of the 20th century the Small Garden, on the east side, was actually divided into two smaller areas separated by buildings. Removing these allowed the gardens to be joined… More →
The room was built in the 1530s as a result of the Renaissance-style widening of the courtyard by Don Fadrique, and was possibly named after a salon in Pontius Pilate's palace in Jerusalem. It… More →
The main courtyard is typically Mudejar in style, with exquisite plaster-decorated arches, and later elements of Gothic, Renaissance and romantic. Built at the end of the 15th century by Pedro… More →
The marble Renaissance entrance arch of the palace which dominates the north side of Plaza de Pilatos (the palace's western façade) was designed and manufactured for Don Fadrique in Genoa in 1529… More →
The initial construction of the palace was begun by Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones (1435-1492), IV Chief Governor of Andalucía, a noble title bestowed by the King, and his second wife Catalina de… More →
Filming
Several international films have scenes filmed in Casa de Palatos; Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, Harem in 1986, 1492: The Conquest of Paradise in 1992, Kingdom of Heaven in 2005, and Knight and Day in 2010.
Practical Advice
This large palace is worth taking a few hours to walk around at your own pace, so you can admire the dazzling decoration - the classical statues, the colourful tiles in countless patterns, the 3D carved wood ceilings. The ground floor area (Summer Palace) is best visited with the personal audio guide, whilst the upstairs (Winter Palace), optional to visit, must be seen on a guided tour at a set time.
If you can't visit the Alcazar, Casa de Pilatos is a good alternative. While the entrance fee is high for Seville (minimum 8 euros as of November 2016), it's well worth the price if you can allow two hours or so. Note that's there's no café at the palace and, unusually for Sevilla, not many in the immediate environs.
Opening Hours:
Winter season: (November to March): From 9am to 6pm
Summer season: (April to October): From 9am to 7pm.
Admission
Complete House ticket: 10 euros (with a guided tour to the upper floor)
Ground Floor ticket: 8€
Both types include an audioguide per person, available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Japanese.
Contact
Casa de Pilatos, Pl. de Pilatos,
Tel: 954 22 52 98
