El Puerto de Santa Maria, the City of the One hundred Palaces, went from being a humble fishing village to becoming an enclave of traders. A historic centre with charming squares, numerous wineries and elegant Palace Houses where the great traders or Shippers to Indias lived after the conquest of the New World.
In this city traders from all parts of the country, and from the continent, settled. This group of people formed one of the most influential social groups in El Puerto de Santa María, who oversaw building the Palace Houses of the city.
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What are the Palace Houses of the Shippers to Indias?
The Palace Houses of the Shippers to Indias are a type of palatial dwelling with Andalusian characteristics, which were built in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These houses reflected the prosperity and wealth of the city and more specifically of the Shippers to Indias, which were called the merchants who traded with America.
Most of these Palace Houses of the Shippers to Indias had some similarity between them, as the materials used in their construction, the main one being the sandstone of the Sierra de San Cristóbal. They also used tiles on sockets and roofs, or brick on the beams of houses.
All these houses had the same structure. A splendid courtyard on the ground floor as a ventilation and lighting center for the whole house. The ground floor was used as warehouses and cellars, distributed around the courtyard. On the first floor were the rooms of the nobles, the owners of the house. And on the top floor were the service areas and access to the roof.
If you want to know all the incredible Palace Houses of the Shippers to Indias of El Puerto de Santa María and enjoy an unforgettable experience, you just have to follow the route that we propose below.
List of some of the Palace Houses of the Shippers to Indias
Araníbar Palace
One of the best-preserved Palace Houses of Shippers to Indias. This palace house is an important civil and noble building of El Puerto. Erected in 1660 and probably the oldest preserved in the city.
Its main facade is in Alfonso X el Sabio Square, a privileged location, as it is located next to the famous San Marcos Castle. Currently this building houses the headquarters of the Tourism and Promotion Department headquarters of the city.
Vizarrón House or Chains House
It is a Palace House that served as accommodation for the kings of Spain, Philip V and Isabella Farnese in the period of greatest splendor of the town. For this reason, they commemorate it with the iron chains existing in the courtyard, hence they also call it the Chains House.
It is in the Polvorista Square and its functions were that of a stately home and center of operations of commerce with the Americas and warehouses.
Reinoso Mendoza Palace
This Palace is an important Baroque building located in the lower part of the city. It is one of the largest examples of the type of Palace Houses built in the 18th century.
It is in the Polvorista Square and it is the current headquarters of the Environment Department.
Roque Aguado House
This Palace Houses of Shippers to Indias was a private dwelling of neighbours. Roque Aguado House resembles one existing palace house in town, as the design of the whole house copied the existing one. The courtyard is the only part of the house that is completely new.
Placed int the Polvorista Square and currently closed, due to restoration and rehabilitation processes.
Valdivieso Admiral House
This Palace, also referred as, the Santa Cruz Palace is noble building located in the historic center of the city. It was the typical Palace House of Shippers to Indias, although Bernardino Valdivieso (the house’s cohabitant) was not a Shipper, but a sailor dedicated to the colonial trade.
Located in La Palma Street, is the current headquarters of Urbanism.
Villarreal and Purullena Palace
The urban area that occupies this Palace corresponds to the historical center, where commercial and administrative activity centralized itself. This building had great social significance, as it is connected to the development of some historical facts of the city. used as a barracks during the Independence War. It was also the residence of Elizabeth II and Francis of Assisi when they visited El Puerto in 1862.
Spotted in Cruces Street, the town hall has restored and rehabilitated the whole building.
Candía Marquise Palace
The origin of this palace dates to the 18th century and belongs to the Baroque style. Here was the post-mortem inventory of the Marquise Maria Teresa de Thous de Monsalve.
It is in Spain Square and it is the current headquarters of the Municipal Archaeological Museum of the city. The headquarters of the Santa Cecilia Academy of Fine Arts.
Lion Palace House
The Palace House of Shippers to Indias is very representative of the city. Characteristic of the civil architecture of the Baroque of Cadiz.
This noble house, which is a holiday apartment nowadays, locates itself in “La Placilla”. They also refer to it as “La Placilla house”.
Álvarez Cuevas Palace
This Palace is one of the most typical examples of civil architecture of El Puerto, with Baroque influences. This house is a Spanish noble lineage originating from the Crown of Castile. Origined in the Principality of Asturias.
O’Ryan Palace House
This unique Palace House of Shippers to Indias has a Gothic cover. Named after the Irish immigrant who built it, Thomas Ryan. It dates to the 18th century, when England was confiscating all the estates and property of Irish Catholics. So many of them decided to emigrate to Spain.
If you want to discover what El Puerto de Santa María was like you have come to the right place. Enjoy this incredible experience and get to know the Palace House of Shippers to Indias doing this wonderful route. We already know them all. Now it is your turn, are you in?
Now that you know a little bit more about the Palace Houses of Shippers to India in El Puerto de Santa María sure you’re willing to know more about this marvelous city. For more local information take a look at our experiences and go fall in love with El Puerto even more experiencing all by yourself. And please for more info and insights, get in touch with us here or write us at info@alsherry.com and we’d be delighted to arrange / make plans with you or for you!