Palacio de Bendaña, Renaissance palace in Alde Zaharra district, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
Palacio de Bendaña is a Renaissance palace in the old district featuring three stories of stone construction and a distinctive cylindrical tower. The building blends Gothic and Renaissance architectural details throughout its structure.
Construction began in 1525 under Juan López de Arrieta, built upon the remains of a medieval tower from the Maestu family. The palace thus rose from an earlier fortified foundation.
The palace has housed the Fournier Playing Cards Museum since 1994, where visitors can trace how this craft evolved across centuries. The collection reveals the changing techniques and designs of card production through different periods.
The palace stands in the eastern section of the medieval old quarter, surrounded by other historical buildings and museums in central Vitoria-Gasteiz. The area is easily walkable, with many other points of interest nearby.
The palace interior features an unusual octagonal star-shaped vault above the staircase, a rare architectural detail from that period. This geometric form was uncommon in early 16th-century construction.
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