Palacio de los Duques de Medinaceli

Published on 14/12/2015

Castellar (El Condado)

Monuments, Castles and Fortresses

Today Duke of Medinaceli’s Palace and Pallares Castle form one single monument.
Pallares Castle loses its military function when the Christian reconquest finished, and it is being used by the descendants of the Benavides line -the last lords of the area- in order to build a donjon and a parade.
During the 18th century it will get to the hands of the Duke of Medinaceli, and it will be named after him.
It is remarkable the blend of different styles, mixing the refined and detailed style of the Renaissance style (that can be found in the palace) with the rough and military ones found in the donjon at Pallares Castle.
It has been used as a casino and as the Headquarters of the Circulo de Labradores, but today the Palace holds Castellar’s Town Hall, and the donjo holds the Iberian Museum of Castellar.

More about this place…

The actual Palace of the Duke of Medinaceli is made by 2 buildings made in different styles and dates. The Castle of Don Men Rodriguez, known as Pallares Castle, stopped being used for military purposes after the Reconquest, and today it is part of the Duke’s Palace. The integration of this building in the complex provides with a mixture of opposite styles - Renaissance and Medieval - making the whole monument a special flavour. The Palace is being used as Castellar Town Hall since 1998.