Palacio de las Duenas (Palace of the Dukes), Seville (must see)

Palace of the Dukes belongs to the House of Alba. It was built in the 15th century in the renaissance style but with Gothic and Moorish accents. The palace has a strong architectural and artistic heritage. Several famous poets and artists were born here and it has become a national monument, a "Asset of Cultural Interest."

The Duke of Alba has been open to tourists since 2016. The palace name is from the monastery of Santa Maria de las Duenas which was home to nuns and servants of Saint Ferdinand and Alfonso X The Wise. The monastery was peripheral to the palace. It was demolished in 1866.

The palace was at one time the residence of Lord Holland, a great fan of Spanish literature. He is the author of a memoir on Lope de Vega and Guillen de Castro. The palace became the property of the house of Alba with the marriage of the 5th Marchioness of Villanueva del Rio with the 4th Duke of Alba.

The palace style is a mixture of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance. There used to be eleven patios. Only one patio remains, surrounded by a gallery. In the interior there is a staircase under a vaulted roof and a ceiling of alfarje gold. The main attractions are Italian and Spanish paintings, antiques, ceramics, sculptures, tapestries and mosaics.