HOUSE OF DON DIEGO MALDONADO
20 minutes
The Maldonado house was commissioned to be built around 1530 by Don Diego Maldonado de Rivas, chamberlain to Archbishop Fonseca, which is why the Fonseca coat of arms appears at the top of the facade. Its architect was Juan de Álava, who designed a Plateresque-style palace, where its facade stands out above all. Above the old window is the coat of arms with the five fleurs-de-lis of the Maldonados. Currently, this building belongs to the University of Salamanca and is the headquarters of the Hispanic-Brazilian Foundation and the Center for Brazilian Studies.
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The residence of butler Diego Maldonado was erected over the remains of his uncle Francisco de Ribas's old house. The latter, after having threatened Pedro Maldonado —leader of the Salamancan Comunero militias— with death in the convent of San Francisco el Grande, provoked the wrath of the people of Salamanca, who rioted in front of his dwelling and set it on fire in 1520. The owner did not rebuild the house but left the plot as an inheritance to his nephew Diego Maldonado in 1527.
Francisco de Ribas had held the position of steward to Alonso de Fonseca II and subsequently to his son, Alonso de Fonseca III. Thanks to his uncle's influence, Diego entered the service of Archbishop Fonseca when he was still Archbishop of Santiago. As the prelate's butler, Diego accumulated numerous privileges, riches, and honors and was the one who commissioned the palace that has come down to us today.
As happened with his uncle Francisco, who was buried in the Úrsulas church alongside Archbishop Fonseca II, Diego was interred in the church of Colegio Mayor Fonseca, a university institution founded by Alonso de Fonseca III.
Before his death, he established an entailment for his daughter Ana, linking his properties, including the house in San Benito square, to it. When Ana died without descendants, the assets passed to other family members. The palace was rented for long periods, and among its tenants were several university schoolmasters who used the building as their residence and as a university prison. In the 19th century, after the abolition of entailments, the palace was sold and fragmented into several properties. In 1924, the Red Cross acquired it, using it as its headquarters until it was bought by the University of Salamanca in 1987.
Once renovated, it housed the Secretariat of Cultural Activities, and since 2008 it has been the headquarters of the Hispano-Brazilian Cultural Foundation and the Brazilian Studies Center. This center, belonging to the University, is a European reference in the study and dissemination of Brazilian reality, as well as in the promotion of Spanish culture and language in Brazil. To this end, it fosters academic exchange and organizes various scientific, cultural, and artistic events.
Francisco de Ribas had held the position of steward to Alonso de Fonseca II and subsequently to his son, Alonso de Fonseca III. Thanks to his uncle's influence, Diego entered the service of Archbishop Fonseca when he was still Archbishop of Santiago. As the prelate's butler, Diego accumulated numerous privileges, riches, and honors and was the one who commissioned the palace that has come down to us today.
As happened with his uncle Francisco, who was buried in the Úrsulas church alongside Archbishop Fonseca II, Diego was interred in the church of Colegio Mayor Fonseca, a university institution founded by Alonso de Fonseca III.
Before his death, he established an entailment for his daughter Ana, linking his properties, including the house in San Benito square, to it. When Ana died without descendants, the assets passed to other family members. The palace was rented for long periods, and among its tenants were several university schoolmasters who used the building as their residence and as a university prison. In the 19th century, after the abolition of entailments, the palace was sold and fragmented into several properties. In 1924, the Red Cross acquired it, using it as its headquarters until it was bought by the University of Salamanca in 1987.
Once renovated, it housed the Secretariat of Cultural Activities, and since 2008 it has been the headquarters of the Hispano-Brazilian Cultural Foundation and the Brazilian Studies Center. This center, belonging to the University, is a European reference in the study and dissemination of Brazilian reality, as well as in the promotion of Spanish culture and language in Brazil. To this end, it fosters academic exchange and organizes various scientific, cultural, and artistic events.
The project was the work of the architect Juan de Álava, who designed a Plateresque-style building in which its main entrance particularly stands out. This appears slightly off-center from the facade to orient directly towards the square. Both the main entrance and the window openings and the cornice are made of good ashlar, which contrasts with the rest of the wall, built of rubble masonry.
The facade responds to the “hanging” type, very common in Salamanca. The lintelled entrance features large fan-shaped voussoirs and is framed between pilasters decorated with Plateresque motifs that support a cornice, forming an alfiz with late Gothic reminiscences.
All the shields in the ensemble appear supported by pairs of tenants. At the top, in a prominent position, is the Fonseca coat of arms within a laurel wreath, as a tribute to the lord the owner served. Above the balcony —the old window— is the Maldonado coat of arms, with its five fleurs-de-lis. On both sides of the balcony are two other identical shields representing lineages related to the family.
The interior of the palace does not retain its original structure due to the numerous reforms carried out throughout the centuries. In the main hall, a simple unpainted wooden ceiling remains. During the rehabilitation works, an old solid brick cistern came to light, with a rectangular plan and covered by a barrel vault. Today it can be seen in the exhibition hall, offering visitors a valuable testimony of 16th-century daily life.
The facade responds to the “hanging” type, very common in Salamanca. The lintelled entrance features large fan-shaped voussoirs and is framed between pilasters decorated with Plateresque motifs that support a cornice, forming an alfiz with late Gothic reminiscences.
All the shields in the ensemble appear supported by pairs of tenants. At the top, in a prominent position, is the Fonseca coat of arms within a laurel wreath, as a tribute to the lord the owner served. Above the balcony —the old window— is the Maldonado coat of arms, with its five fleurs-de-lis. On both sides of the balcony are two other identical shields representing lineages related to the family.
The interior of the palace does not retain its original structure due to the numerous reforms carried out throughout the centuries. In the main hall, a simple unpainted wooden ceiling remains. During the rehabilitation works, an old solid brick cistern came to light, with a rectangular plan and covered by a barrel vault. Today it can be seen in the exhibition hall, offering visitors a valuable testimony of 16th-century daily life.