Palacio de Monterrey

The Palace of Monterrey is one of the best examples of Spanish Renaissance civil architecture and the ultimate exponent of Plateresque art. It was commissioned by Don Alonso de Acevedo y Zúñiga, III Count of Monterrey. A native of Santiago de Compostela, he had strong ties to Salamanca, where his paternal ancestors came from and where he owned significant assets. Don Alonso was the grandson of the Archbishop of Santiago, Alonso de Fonseca II.

The palace project was commissioned in 1539 to architects Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and Fray Martín de Santiago. It has been repeatedly noted that the originally planned palace would have had a quadrangular shape with corner towers and a central Renaissance courtyard. The extraordinarily high budget delayed the project, at a time when the Count's finances were facing serious difficulties, after having allocated large sums to the construction of the Monterrey fortress in Galicia and to aid provided to the emperor for the defense of Vienna against the Ottoman advance.

The palace became part of the House of Alba after the marriage of Catalina de Haro y Guzmán (1672-1733), VIII Countess of Monterrey, with Francisco Álvarez de Toledo y Silva (1662-1739), X Duke of Alba. They had only one daughter, Doña María del Pilar Teresa Álvarez de Toledo, heiress to the collection of titles and the palace itself, which would forever be linked to one of Spain's great noble families.

Throughout the 20th century, various reforms were carried out in the building to recondition it as a residence for the ducal family. In the 1950s, the upper gallery, until then open, was enclosed, and the upper floor was transformed into an interior space that came to house the dining room, the living room, the office, and other rooms. In the same period, the coffered ceiling acquired from the nuns of the Domestic Service of Salamanca (Hijas de María Inmaculada) was installed. The most recent intervention concluded in 2018, the year the building opened its doors to the public, becoming part of Salamanca's tourist offerings.

PALACE EXTERIOR
The building has a marked horizontal character, with three superimposed floors -four if the cellars/stables are taken into account- individualized by distinct impost lines. Today, the two solid bodies feature very simple openings; originally, the balconies of the main floor had elaborate decoration, similar to what the balconies and windows on the eastern side still retain. The finials and pediments that decorated the balconies were removed in one of the reforms carried out between the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The third body, where the decoration is concentrated, is built in perfectly and carefully carved ashlar masonry, in contrast to the lower ones where ashlar is only used for corners and window frames, with the walls made of irregular rubble masonry. This third floor is organized as a continuous loggia of 26 openings that are interrupted beneath the towers. The arches are framed by fluted semi-columns resting on corbels with mascarons. Among the flame-shaped finials decorating the cornice runs a rich openwork cresting decorated with naked men with vegetal limbs, griffins, etc. This cresting incorporates modern details resulting from the restoration carried out in the 1950s.
The towers concentrate much of the decoration on the windows and corners, where large angled coats of arms are carved. Lions, griffins, and other fantastic beings are used as supporters. The surnames Acebedo and Fonseca are the most repeated, along with those of Ulloa, Biedna, Zúñiga, Maldonado, Sotomayor, and Castro; in short, the entire genealogy of the Count of Monterrey is reflected in the heraldry of the facade.

The decorative program was enriched by the chimneys, which, in addition to fulfilling their practical function, were transformed into true ornamental supports. Medallions and coats of arms, crowned by delicate and striking crestings, are integrated into them.

INTERIOR
More than a museum, the palace's interior preserves the essence of a dwelling inhabited by generations of the House of Alba, where historical pieces, decorative arts, and family mementos coexist. Throughout the tour, visitors can admire tapestries, family portraits, ancient weapons, clocks, Baroque consoles, and fireplaces with heraldic shields.

Entrance Hallway
The visit to the interior of the Palace of Monterrey begins by passing through a small gate that gives access to an entrance hallway where the visitor finds on the original floor, the coats of arms of Salamanca and of the Álvarez de Toledo. On one side are private quarters for maintenance staff, and on the other, a small shop where tickets for the palace visit are purchased. Embedded in the wall, a plaque recalls that Diego de Torres Villaroel lived and died here.

Vestibule
From there, one accesses the main vestibule, presided over by a monumental staircase of Villamayor stone leading to the first floor. The vestibule walls are decorated with 17th-century Flemish hangings and a large 1949 stained-glass window displaying the coat of arms of the House of Alba. A Carrara marble bust, located during excavations at Alba de Tormes Castle, presides over the staircase. Armors, tapestries, and unique pieces like an 18th-century Talavera ornamental jar complete the decoration.

Distributing Hall
After ascending the staircase, one reaches a distributing hall. On one side, private rooms intended as guest bedrooms open up, while the hall's walls display oil paintings from the Canaletto school and a bust of Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart by Mariano Benlliure.

Saint Teresa's Room or Green Room
The next room is the guest reception room, also called the green room. The fireplace, made of Villamayor stone, dates from the 16th century and is decorated with the coat of arms of the III Count of Monterrey. Presiding over the room is a portrait of the 17th Duke of Alba, Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, painted by Manuel Benedito, a disciple of Sorolla. This room preserves objects of enormous symbolic value, such as a set of keys to Saint Teresa's tomb, a testament to the close historical relationship between the House of Alba and the saint. A portrait of Saint Teresa of Jesus, by Juan Carreño de Miranda, is also exhibited.

"Great Duke" Vestibule
In this space, the portrait of the Great Duke of Alba, a work by Alonso Sánchez Coello, stands out, considered one of the most valuable pieces in the collection, along with interesting works from the Flemish school painted on copper. From there, one ascends to a second level by means of a noble oak wooden staircase, without supporting pillars.

Main Living Room
This living room was, until its enclosure in 1958, an open gallery. Its walls gather a surprising variety of decorative objects, among which two tapestries stand out and, above all, two paintings by José de Ribera: Landscape with Fort and Landscape with Shepherds, the only known landscape works by the painter. The room also features a large fireplace, a portrait of the Duchess of Alba, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, and a table with marble inlays supporting family portraits. An inverted ship's keel-shaped coffered ceiling covers this space.

Dining Room
From the living room, one accesses the dining room. Its polychrome Mudejar coffered ceiling is one of the palace's jewels, originating from the convent of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. The 17th-century Flemish tapestries decorating the room depict mythological scenes starring the goddess Diana.

The visit continues to more intimate areas:
• The sitting room, warm and cozy, with a fireplace and armchairs inviting relaxation.
• A bathroom decorated with Talavera ceramics from the palace of the Count-Duke of Olivares in Loeches.
• The Duke's office, in English style, where a portrait of Unamuno and a reproduction of the poem he dedicated to the Monterrey tower can be seen.
• Finally, the tour of this floor culminates in the master bedroom, known as the “king's bedroom”, who stayed there on several occasions. Located in a tower, it features large windows and a lithograph of the Count-Duke of Olivares, a work by Manuel Valdés.

The Tower
The main tower, located on the eastern side of the building, constitutes one of Salamanca's great symbols. From the tower, some of the most beautiful details of the palace can be appreciated: the crestings, true stone filigrees that crown the palace, and the chimneys, decorated with the coats of arms of the House of Monterrey supported by figures and fantastic animals.
The tower also offers privileged views of the city. Towards the Plaza de las Agustinas, one can distinguish the eponymous convent and the Church of La Purísima, with its characteristic dome. Behind them rises the Pontifical University and, to its left, the tower of the Church of San Benito, also linked to the House of Monterrey.
In the opposite direction, one can contemplate the Gothic apse of the Convent of Las Úrsulas and the house where Miguel de Unamuno spent his last years, from whose balcony he admired the majestic silhouette of the Monterrey tower.

Service Areas
Today, the spaces dedicated to domestic tasks, located on the ground floor of the palace, can also be visited. On both sides of a central corridor are distributed the servants' bedrooms, the laundry room, the cold room —named so for constantly maintaining a low temperature ideal for preserving food— and the 19th-century kitchen. In the latter, the hobs of an impressive iron stove, manufactured at the beginning of the 20th century, stand out, along with a magnificent collection of copper utensils.

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