Sobrellano Palace

What it is

The palace built by the first Marquis of Comillas, Antonio López, on the Sobrellano hill, next to El Capricho. It is the centrepiece of the quarter he turned into a garden city, with palm trees and summer houses for his relatives and partners. The interior can only be seen on a guided visit.

The palace and the chapel

The complex began with the pantheon chapel, from 1878 to 1881, and was completed with the palace, built between 1882 and 1888 and inaugurated that year. Both are the work of the architect Joan Martorell, in Neo-Gothic style. The palace mixes English civil Gothic with a memory of Venetian palaces and reliefs reminiscent of muqarnas, but inside it is a simple scheme: a central vestibule with a monumental double-flight white marble staircase, lit from above by a skylight of coloured stained glass. It was a space meant to be shown off, full of objects that reflected the marquises. The great hall has eight panels painted by Eduardo Llorens showing what the family had contributed to Spain's recent history.

The pantheon chapel, a miniature cathedral of English and Central European Gothic, holds the tombs of the first marquis, his brother Claudio and the second marquis. It has sculptures by Josep Llimona and Agapito Vallmitjana and furniture designed by Gaudí. It was inaugurated in 1881, with King Alfonso XII's visit to Comillas. It is now closed for restoration until further notice.

Hours and price

In November 2026, Tuesday to Friday and Sundays from 9:30 to 15:00, and on Saturdays from 9:30 to 16:00; on Mondays, closed. The gardens are cleared half an hour before closing. The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes, for 25 people at most: €7 from age 13 and €5 from 4 to 12, and also for large families, over-65s or pensioners, the unemployed, students and people with a 65% disability, with proof. Groups of 11 or more pay €5 and schoolchildren, €2. Free up to age 3 and with the Cultural Passport.

How to book

On the Cantabria Culture website, centros.culturadecantabria.com. If you have not booked, try at the ticket office, on the ground floor of the palace, which opens 20 minutes before each session. Information and groups: 942 598 425. Hours may change without notice because of cultural activities.

How to combine it

Gaudí's El Capricho is next door, on the same estate: in November it is open every day from 10:00 to 17:30. Opposite, on the other hill, the Seminario Mayor; if you buy both visits online, leave between 90 and 120 minutes between them. For lunch in the centre, the Gurea restaurant serves home cooking and takes care of coeliacs.