Spain: Palacio de Monterrey, Salamanca
- Matthew P G
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
July 2015
The Monterrey Palace is one of the best examples of civil architecture of the Spanish Renaissance and the greatest exponent of Plateresco. It has served as an example for other architectural styles such as Neoplateresque or the “Monterrey style”, and as an inspiration for other buildings such as the Cavalry Academy of Valladolid, the current Archaeological Museum of Seville or the Palencia Provincial Council Palace. It was built by the will of Don Alonso de Acevedo y Zúñiga (1495-1559), 3rd Count of Monterrey, a noble of illustrious lineage of Galician origin with important resources, who was linked to the city of Salamanca, where he owned some houses and buildings.
I had already fallen in love with Salamanca before I saw the Monterrey Palace. Now a museum, it represents the peak of Spanish Renaissance architecture whose style influenced buildings all over Spain. I skipped the interior (it is an art museum) and focused on walking around the exterior. The old parts of the city are from an age in Spain that only exists in a handful of buildings in other cities. Salamanca is swimming in them.
In fact, although Salamanca has Roman roots, it was always a frontier town for all who followed. Only after the Reconquista wrested control of the city from the Moors did it start to flourish. With the establishment of a university (one of Europe's oldest), the city finally blossomed. The Palace of Monterrey is from that period.
Salamanca is one of my favorite cities in Spain. Along with León it is known for promotion of the study of Spanish language. If anyone were looking for a lovely place to study Spanish, I think Salamanca - filled with old buildings and holding an extremely old university - should be at the top of the list.
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