La Casa del Almirante (Admiral's House), located in the heart of the old quarter of
Tudela, is one of the most interesting civil Renaissance architecture palaces in
Spain.
It was built around 1550, replacing a former 15
th-century mansion. Little is known about the building's construction from documentary sources, nor has a logical explanation been found for its name of "Admiral's House".The first known owners were the Cabanillas Berrozpe family, heirs of the Gómez Peralta, who commissioned the construction of the house between 1520 and 1560. They were succeeded by the Castillo Cabanillas and Gómez de Peralta families in the 17
th century, the Ximénez de Cascante and Ximénez de Antillón in the 18
th, and the Barón de la Torre family in the 19
th.
The present Plateresque mansion replaced the previous one, of which the great square-shaped original staircase is preserved. It is now a three-story building made of brick, topped by a gallery of small arches and a highly decorated eave. The courtyard is rectangular and very sober, designed according to the Aragonese model of the time. The ornamentation on its two large balconies on the first floor stands out, with splendid Plateresque decoration consisting of anthropomorphic figures in high relief. There is a frieze in relief between the balconies and the eave.
Its magnificent façade was restored in 1997, and in 2010 work began on restoring the interior to act as the seat of the
María Forcada Foundation, dedicated to cultural and training activities.
Did you know that...?
This palace is considered to be one of the most interesting examples of civil renaissance architecture in Spain. It is the venue for the City of Tudela Film Festival, "Ópera Prima", and the International Festival "Avant-Garde".