The Golden Room

One of the major highlights from our recent grand tour of Spain was a visit to the exquisitely opulent, Casa de Pilatos in Seville. While touring the magnificent indoor spaces and outdoor courtyards, I was dazzled by a set of rooms that were built in the early 16th century by Don Fabrique Enríquez de Ribera, a Spanish noble and the son of Pedro Enríquez de Quiñones who began the construction of the palace in the 15th century. The rooms consists of an outer rectangular gallery or entrance hall, with the main room being perfectly square. The walls are ablaze in a way of warm, yellow ochre walls with white red painted borders. Adorning the spaces are an extraordinary array of Roman antiquities. Many of them dating from the second century A.D. which Don Fabrique collected during his sojourns to Italy. Aside from the collection of antiquities and the striking colors, the beauty and uniqueness of the rooms is the combination of Mudejar and Rennaissance Revival elements. In fact the rooms were named for the intricately patterned carved wood ceilings that are separated from the walls by an equally complex frieze of carved plaster. For a truly fascinating and more in depth story on the Casa de Pilatos be sure to visit Christopher Worthlands blog (here). 

A striking vignette including a beautifully detailed marble console, Roman bust and a massive carved plaque

A view from the main room to the gallery, which is flanked by marble doric columns

A collection of Roman architectural fragments in the portico before entering the rooms

Perfection! Atop the center table rests a massive carved Roman helmet in marble

Looking up at the intricately carved wood ceiling in the main room

All photos by Michael Hampton