Casa del Bailío, 16th century palace in central Córdoba, Spain

Casa del Bailío is a 16th century palace in central Córdoba with a Gothic facade decorated with Plateresque ornaments. The building contains an inner courtyard surrounded by arcaded galleries on multiple levels, designed according to traditional Andalusian architectural principles.

The house belonged to the Corbacho and Cárcamo families before passing to Pedro Núñez de Herrera, grand bailío of Lora of the Order of Saint John and natural son of Alfonso de Aguilar, who lived there in the first half of the 16th century. The Marqueses de Almunia inherited the palace and in 1710 sold part of it to the bishopric of Córdoba for the hospital of San Jacinto and the church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. It later housed the Post Office and the Public Works Office, and was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural on 1 February 1982.

The name comes from the bailío, the dignity held by Pedro Núñez de Herrera as great bailío of Lora of the Order of Saint John, who lived here in the first half of the 16th century. The property later passed to the Marquises of Almunia, who in 1710 sold part of it to the bishopric of Córdoba. Today the building is shared between the Biblioteca Viva de al-Ándalus and the hotel Palacio del Bailío.

The palace has two entrances, one on Calle Ramírez de Arellano and another on the Cuesta del Bailío, the street it gives its name to. The building is split between the Biblioteca Viva de al-Ándalus and the Palacio del Bailío hotel, so access to the interior depends on which part you visit. Look up at the Plateresque tympanum of the late Gothic doorway from the street.

The palace's name comes from the title of bailío, a dignity held by professed knights of the Order of Saint John; Pedro Núñez de Herrera, natural son of Alfonso de Aguilar, held the post of grand bailío of Lora and gave the house its name. He died in Africa in 1578 with King Sebastian of Portugal.