Palacio del Deán Ortega, Renaissance palace turned hotel in Úbeda, Spain
The Palacio del Deán Ortega is a Renaissance structure with a rectangular footprint and a central double-height courtyard supported by columns in Renaissance-Nasrid style and refined stone arches. The building now operates as a hotel and contains underground chambers that once served storage functions for the household.
Fernando Ortega Salido, dean of Málaga Cathedral, commissioned architect Andrés de Vandelvira in 1540 to build this palace during Spain's Renaissance flowering. The structure emerged during a period when private residences for senior clergy symbolized both personal wealth and ecclesiastical authority.
The palace sits on Plaza Vázquez de Molina as part of a Renaissance ensemble that shaped urban life in 16th-century Andalusia. Walking through its spaces, you see how architecture and design reflected the wealth and status of the clergy during this period.
The interior courtyard is freely accessible and gives you a clear view of the Renaissance architecture without any formal requirements. If you plan to explore further, note that some areas serve the hotel, so timing your visit during less busy hours helps you move around more easily.
Beneath the hotel's current cafe lie ancient storage rooms filled with clay vessels that once held wine and oil. These underground spaces reveal how such palace buildings functioned as both residences and administrative centers for managing valuable resources.
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