Golfines de Abajo Palace (Caceres)
Built by the Golfin family after the reconquest on the foundations of the old family settlement, the Golfines de Abajo Palace is an eminently Renaissance building on which work began in 1511 and was extended over the years.
The palace has a central body of a solid façade made of ashlar masonry and accompanied by two towers. It has a Gothic-style upper window and under its sill is the family heraldry of the Golfines.
Due to its long construction, the palace presents two contrasting architectural styles. The first is the 15th-century fortress-house style, whose main reference is its tower with a pair of machicolations on the sides and lowered arches.
The second style is the Humanist one typical of the 16th century. Fantastic animals with Plateresque cresting crown the façade, while beautiful granite mouldings on its windows and doors stand out, along with the stately heraldry of Los Golfines and Los Álvarez.
An interesting detail is its dissimilar-looking towers. The tower on the left stands out from the façade, while the tower on the right is square in plan and taller than the one on the left.
Another interesting detail is that the Catholic Monarchs, in gratitude for the services that the Golfines provided, allowed their family heraldry to be placed on the palace façade, which is crowned with a cross, and on the marble mullion of its window, which is the highest part of the façade.
The Golfines de Abajo Palace served as the residence of the Catholic Monarchs on two occasions when they visited Caceres.
The palace has a central body of a solid façade made of ashlar masonry and accompanied by two towers. It has a Gothic-style upper window and under its sill is the family heraldry of the Golfines.
Due to its long construction, the palace presents two contrasting architectural styles. The first is the 15th-century fortress-house style, whose main reference is its tower with a pair of machicolations on the sides and lowered arches.
The second style is the Humanist one typical of the 16th century. Fantastic animals with Plateresque cresting crown the façade, while beautiful granite mouldings on its windows and doors stand out, along with the stately heraldry of Los Golfines and Los Álvarez.
An interesting detail is its dissimilar-looking towers. The tower on the left stands out from the façade, while the tower on the right is square in plan and taller than the one on the left.
Another interesting detail is that the Catholic Monarchs, in gratitude for the services that the Golfines provided, allowed their family heraldry to be placed on the palace façade, which is crowned with a cross, and on the marble mullion of its window, which is the highest part of the façade.
The Golfines de Abajo Palace served as the residence of the Catholic Monarchs on two occasions when they visited Caceres.
Location
What to see in Caceres
