PALACIO DE LOS DUQUES DE MEDINA SIDONIA

Description

Together with the village of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, King Ferdinand IV handed over the Palace of the Duke and Duchess of Medina Sidonia to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán and has remained in the family since 1297. It is built upon what was once a muslim ribat datiing back to the late 11th century.

Over time, the palace halls and their furniture were either changed or adapted, depending on the style of the era, each one leaving its trace and thus creating an eclectic combination of styles, from the Renaissance room, known today as the Columns Room, to the Ambassadors Room, patently baroque in style.

The palatial art collection which includes paintings, sculptures and an outstanding collection of furniture, is of incalculable value while its private archives are considered to be the most important in all of Europe. Thanks to the cataloguing efforts of the 22nd Duchess of Medina Sidonia, Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toleda, the archives have been available for consultation by researchers since 1978.