PALACIO DE LAS DUEÑAS

Since March 2016, the Palais des Dueñas, residence of the Dukes of Alba in Seville, has been open to the public. Built in the ^15th and ^16th centuries, this grand seigniorial palace owes its name to the former monastery of Santa María de Las Dueñas, which was located next to it. The building is a blend of Gothic, Mudejar and Renaissance styles, harmoniously integrated with typical Sevillian azulejos and ceramics, and has been converted into a museum in a minimalist style, so that visitors can appreciate the structure of the building and every detail of its decoration. Through the interiors, patios and gardens, the tour is designed to provide a better understanding of Seville's culture and city. It begins with the caballerizas, or stables, which reflect the importance of horses in Andalusian culture. This is followed by the Patio de los Limoneros (Lemon Patio), birthplace of the great poet Antonio Machado, who dedicated one of his poems to it: "My childhood is made up of memories of a Seville patio and a bright orchard where the lemon tree ripens...". After the main patio, we come to the main staircase, with its many works of art and decorative elements, then to the gypsy's living room, the center of the house's social life, adorned with a sculpture by Mariano Benlliure. Several rooms then illustrate the pillars of Andalusian culture: bullfighting, with posters of Seville's spring ferias since the ^19th century; religion, with the altarpiece by Neri de Bicci in the chapel; and flamenco, with the family's personal tablao where the art was practiced. Patios, gardens and nooks and crannies complete the tour. And let's not forget that in the ^20th century, the palace became a meeting place for representatives of numerous European monarchies and prestigious guests such as Eugénie de Montijo, Alfonso XIII, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly.