The Courtyards of the Palace of the Dueñas

If today I take you to Seville, from a few years ago, through the photos of this Tuesday's entry. Are you coming?

Today, you guessed it, we are visiting the Palace of the Dueñas, which takes its name from an ancient convent of nuns back in the 13th century... since then it has changed ownership until it reached the powerful Dukes of Alba in the 16th century. It has been considered a historical artistic monument since just before the Spanish Civil War (1931).

Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, it blends styles from Renaissance, Mudejar, and Gothic according to the fashion trends of that time. It is certainly a good example of the architecture of the city in past eras.

The palace was originally located on the outskirts of the city of Seville, but over the centuries it has found itself within the city.

The palace has welcomed many "famous" visitors; you can research if you like celebrity culture... musicians, members of European royalty, writers like Antonio Machado who was born here, or if we are more frivolous, Grace Kelly or Jacqueline Kennedy. Why? As I mentioned earlier, because it is owned by the Dukes of Alba.

More than a garden, as reviews and articles might lead us to think, it is a succession of courtyards that open up to the palace's dependencies. Each decorated in its style, with potted plants and/or in flower beds, porticoes, wells, or fountains, antiques and mementos of the owners, earthen floors or paved ones. Courtyards where vegetation and shade mitigate the intense summer heat of Seville and articulate the spaces that rise around them. Spaces without stridency, inviting contemplation, calm, to sit down and read while the whisper of a fountain or some bird enhances the passage of time... The architectural elements with brick, tiles, whitewashed walls, and arcades do not fall behind in this palatial ensemble. Although not identical, these courtyards, or if peripheral gardens, are harmonious in the whole, ultimately being another room but outdoors, with a vegetal decoration for the delight of both locals and visitors.

My visit, a few years ago at least, everything was in perfect condition of cleanliness and order; the end of summer may have dulled some plants that would undoubtedly have been battered by the relentless Sevillian heat and at their peak would cover everything with flowers (like clivias or bougainvilleas).

It is hard not to think about how luxurious the space is (not just because of the building's significance or its artworks) but because of these courtyards: the shade, the coolness, the vegetation... in a climate like that of the capital of the Guadalquivir... we could define it as "green air conditioning".

As I said, it is just a beautiful palace with landscaped courtyards; in these green areas, we find an immense botanical variety from citrus trees, geraniums, clivias, aspidistras, date palms, cycads, numerous climbers like the impressive bougainvilleas, plumbago, jasmines... borders of aromatic myrtle, and we could even continue mentioning some species that are uncommon in the area and thrive between the walls of these courtyards.

For a few years now, it has been opened to the public (if you plan to visit, check the hours and fees), partly due to the willingness of the current owners and I suppose partly due to the obligation of being a BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) and benefiting from public aid for its conservation with the counterbalance of having to open to the public. Be that as it may, we have the opportunity to visit a space that would otherwise be closed to us.

With these brushstrokes and the photographs, I hope that if you didn't know them, you are encouraged to visit the Palace of the Dueñas and, by extension, Seville and many other tourist attractions, including some of its parks.

See you next Tuesday!