Palacio del Marqués de Malpica facts for kids
The Palace of the Marquis of Malpica (its full name is Palacio del Marqués de Malpica) is an old and important building in the city of Toledo, which is in the Castile-La Mancha region of Spain. You can find it in the Plaza de Santa Clara, right next to the Santa Clara monastery. This palace was built in the Renaissance style, which was popular in the 1500s. It used to belong to the Marquis of Malpica y Valdepusa, a noble family.
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Exploring the Palace's Design
The palace's outside, called its facade, has been changed a bit over time. But it still has a special tower that looks like a lookout point. This kind of tower was very common in old Toledo houses. The lower parts of the building, called basements, are huge and still have their original arched ceilings.
The Inner Courtyard
Inside the palace, there's a square courtyard. This open space has four columns on each side. There are two floors of columns, both built in the Ionic order. This means the tops of the columns have a special scroll-like design. These columns support flat stone beams, which are also decorated with special brackets called zapatas.
Details of the Courtyard's Art
On the ground floor, the zapatas (decorative brackets) are painted a soft pink color. The flat beams above them show off the family's shields, mixed with this pink decoration. At the corners, the columns are designed so the zapata bends around both sides.
On the upper floor, the columns stand on rectangular bases. You can also see a low wall, called a parapet, with small balusters (short, decorative posts). The design here is similar to the lower floor, but the decorations are different. The zapatas have special symbols, and instead of family shields, you'll see classic heads, like those designed by the famous artist Alonso de Covarrubias. The very top edge of the building has strong supporting brackets, called corbels, which are decorated with four-leaf flowers.
The Grand Staircase
To the left of the courtyard, there's a large, grand staircase. It's not directly open to the courtyard. Instead, it's surrounded by a passage or hallway, known as a crujía. In some parts of this hallway, you can still see columns holding up a beam. These beams are decorated with the same rose patterns as the courtyard. A small stone ledge on the upper wall shows how big these old hallways used to be.
Who Built the Courtyard?
Even though there are no old papers to prove it, many experts believe that Alonso de Covarrubias designed the courtyard of this palace. This is because it looks very similar to other buildings he worked on. It's thought that the courtyard was built around the late 1530s.
Modern Changes to the Palace
Today, the area in front of the tower-lookout is used as a car park for a government office. This spot used to be where the Marquis of Malpica kept his horses in stables. The old stables were taken down around 1960.
The Palace in Famous Artworks
This palace has been featured in important historical artworks.
Drawings and Paintings
In 1563, the artist Anton van den Wyngaerde drew a picture of Toledo. In his drawing, he labeled this building as belonging to Don Francisco de Ribera, who owned it at the time. About 50 years later, the famous painter El Greco also showed this house-palace in his well-known painting, View and Plan of Toledo.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio del Marqués de Malpica para niños
