Casa de Pilatos

Seville, Spain

La Casa de Pilatos (Pilate's House) serves as the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli. It is an example of an Italian Renaissance building with Mudéjar elements and decorations. This beautiful mansion is one of central Seville’s hidden treasures, and its exquisite gardens, though smaller in scale, match anything you’ll see in the Alcázar.

The construction, which is adorned with precious azulejo tiles and well-kept gardens, was begun in 1483 by Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones, Adelantado Mayor of Andalucía, and his wife Catalina de Rivera, founder of the Casa de Alcalá, and completed by Pedro's son Fadrique Enríquez de Rivera, whose pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1519 led to the building being given the name 'Pilate's House'.

The palace’s undeniable good looks have earned it a starring role in two films: 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia and 2010’s Knight and Day.

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Details

Founded: 1483
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Spain

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Katharina Sachse (5 months ago)
Highly recommended! We could not enter the Real Alcazar, as no tickets were left (our visit to Seville came out of a sudden). The casa de Pilatos was a nice walk through town away and equally interesting. Stunning villa / palace of Spain's medieval era, with lots of interesting architecture, ceramic tiles, a mix of styles and arts, splendid gardens. Just wonderful. We would have loved to see the upper floor, too, but sadly, it was closed. This palace probably tells you more about Seville's history than any other.
Charlotte Bae (7 months ago)
Really interesting collection of art and objects. There are a lot of Italian (Naples) and Roman art & sculpture. It’s very peaceful and less crowded than other places. We enjoyed sitting in the garden and different spots inside the building. I recommend getting a guided tour for upper floors.
Jay (7 months ago)
I Really beautiful place I loved the gardens and the aroma of the flowers. The building itself is amazing and rich in culture and history. I arrived early and I did not have to wait in a queue. Other benefits of myself arriving here at the earliest time possible is that I got to take some amazing pictures without any interruptions from pasting tourists within my shots. I recommend definitely visiting here if you are in Seville.
Sam S (7 months ago)
Beautiful place to visit if you're in the city! Since it's not one of the main attractions there weren't a lot of visitors and it was actually pretty quiet - great for a peaceful visit. Great flair and atmosphere, wonderful architecture. Very recommended!
Evelyn C. (7 months ago)
The house was impressive, especially the gardens, which resembled Roman fresco art, yet uniquely its own. Visit before 10am to avoid tour groups. What I didn’t like was the lack of audio guide machines, despite the expensive €12 admission. Instead, a QR code was given to listen on one’s mobile phone, which was impractical (how could you listen and take photos at the same time) and shift the cost on visitors (mobile phone battery & data signal). The audio guide couldn’t speed up and focused too much on the technical details of the construction of building’s elements.
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