Getting Lost in the Tiles at the Casa de Pilatos

Seville is home to a remarkable number of casa palacios—grand urban mansions built around traditional Andalusian elements like graceful arched courtyards.

The Casa de Pilatos, the historic residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli, is an old one. Construction began in 1483, during the transition from late Gothic to early Renaissance Spain, and the palace reflects that moment—a richly layered blend of styles augmented by centuries of additions and restorations.

The central courtyard is breathtaking. Four classical statues—Roman copies of Greek originals—stand at its corners, their pale stone figures poised amid a riot of tiles, arches, and light. Sunlight filters down into the space, catching on the statues and the fountain at its center.

The true highlight—for me, at least—is the intricate tilework (azulejos). Beyond their beauty, the tiles serve a practical purpose, helping to keep the spaces cool during Seville’s scorching summers, when average high temperatures hover around 100°F. The audio guide is exhaustive (and, at times, exhausting), offering a detailed history of each room, artwork, and renovation campaign. I mostly tuned it out, letting my attention drift instead to the tiles lining galleries, walls, and arches, where I got lost in the patterns.

Curious to see more, I booked a tour of the palace’s upper apartments, which I had never visited before. With apologies to the House of Medinaceli, I found these rooms surprisingly drab, lacking the color and vitality that so animate the ones below. Mediocre paintings hang on otherwise bare white walls. The most compelling space was a large room once adorned with frescoes depicting the four seasons—almost entirely lost after lime was used to disinfect the room during an outbreak of plague.

Before leaving, I spent a few more minutes taking in the tiles. It’s easy to understand why filmmakers have been drawn to the building: its interiors have appeared in films like Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdom of Heaven, standing in for places far removed from Seville.