What to do · Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia
Information
- From
- €11 per person
- Season
- All year
- Who it's for
- Adults and teenagers
What it is
The palace of the Guzmán family, Dukes of Medina Sidonia, at Plaza Condes de Niebla, 1, in the Barrio Alto. It is a three-storey building that preserves a 12th-century Hispano-Muslim core, with arcades, a great hall and two doors, and that grew with houses added from the 15th century, the so-called Palacio Nuevo. The 5th Duke moved his main residence to Sanlúcar in 1517. It has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 1978 and, since 1990, the palace and its contents have belonged to the Fundación Casa Medina Sidonia, created by the 21st Duchess, Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo.
What you see
The foundation's volunteers show the house's artistic heritage and furniture. Among the pieces the foundation mentions are the Hall of Columns, formerly the Hall of Marbles, whose 1524 coffered ceiling began the embellishment works; the Ambassadors' Hall, finished in 1639–1640 on the commission of the 9th Duke; a collection of bargueño cabinets, a series of tapestries from the house of Montalto and paintings by Luis de Morales, the Cavaliere d'Arpino, Juan de Roelas and Vicente López.
The whole covers 14,850 m² with the gardens. In the 16th century a garden-wood of acanthus was planted over the old ravine of Sanlúcar; the upper garden has palm trees, orange trees and medlars, and a cistern from 1565. On the third floor is kept the foundation's General Archive, with 6,318 bundles and more than six million documents, installed there since 1960.
Days, hours and admission
Guided visits on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11:00 and 12:00. Admission, €11, is bought at the foundation's office or through its online sales; under-14s and those staying at its guesthouse do not pay. Groups of up to 15 people need to book ahead on 956 360 161, from 9:00 to 14:00, or at [email protected]. In the afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday, the Guzmán El Bueno café is open, from 15:00 to 21:00.
To combine
It is in the Barrio Alto, a few minutes from Santiago Castle and the Manzanilla Museum. On a Sunday you can do the palace at 11:00, the castle afterwards and finish at the museum before 15:00. If you want to sleep inside, the foundation has its guesthouse: the Hospedería Palacio de los Guzmanes.
