Casa de Pilatos

Nowhere near as grand as its big brother, the Alcázar, "Pilates House", built at the beginning of the 16th century, is nevertheless a beautiful and interesting early example of a typical Andalusian palace in a mixture of Renaissance and Neo-Mudejar styles. Passing through the marble gateway you cross the old coachyard to the main patio, with its fountain, Moorish style colonnades, and busts of Roman emperors and Spanish kings. To either side of this are the two gardens, the original el grande, built around a central fountain, and el chico, with its raised pool. The stairway to the upper floors features a domed ceiling in 'Mudejar honeycomb', and the upstairs rooms themselves include important works of art from the 16th to 19th centuries.