Casa de los Duques de Valencia

Casa de los Duques de Valencia is a Renaissance townhouse on Plaza de Santa María in Cáceres, right at the heart of the medieval Ciudad Monumental, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What will you see?

The building's centerpiece is its striking 16th-century Renaissance doorway. The archway is built from clearly visible wedge-shaped voussoirs, cut with the precision typical of stonework from that period. Above the entrance sit two carved coats of arms belonging to the Portocarrero and Golfín families, a reminder of the noble alliances behind the house's construction — and the source of the two-family name the building still carries today.

Inside, a small and irregularly shaped courtyard opens up, with porticoes running along only two of its sides. The columns supporting the arcades and the Renaissance balustrade above them create a compact but harmonious composition, characteristic of Cáceres' noble townhouses, where an imposing street façade often conceals a more modest interior layout.

The house was built in the 16th century, during the peak period of palace construction in Cáceres, when the city's noble families competed to raise increasingly elaborate residences around the old town walls. It remained the home of the Duchess of Valencia's family until as late as the 1960s, making it one of the few palaces in this part of the city to be continuously inhabited for so long. Today the building belongs to the Diputación Provincial de Cáceres (the Provincial Council), which restored it and now uses it to house administrative and technical services.

How to get there?

Casa de los Duques de Valencia stands on Plaza de Santa María, the old town's main square, right beside the Concatedral de Santa María, considered the most important church in the historic center. The entire Ciudad Monumental is pedestrian-only, so the easiest way in is on foot from Plaza Mayor, Cáceres' central square: pass through the Arco de la Estrella and follow the narrow streets uphill for just a few minutes. Plaza de Santa María sits alongside several other historic residences, making it easy to combine a visit here with a broader walking tour of the old town.

When to visit?

Since the building now serves administrative purposes, its interior is generally not open to the public — the main draw is the façade and courtyard, both visible from the square and from the church steps nearby. The best time to visit is spring (April to June) or early autumn (September to October), when temperatures in Extremadura are milder than the intense summer heat, and morning light falls favorably on the stone façade facing the square. Arriving early, before tour groups fill the old town's narrow streets, is recommended.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Casa de los Duques de Valencia? The building now belongs to the Diputación Provincial de Cáceres and houses administrative offices, so the interior is generally closed to visitors — the highlight remains the façade and courtyard, visible from outside.

Where does the building's name come from? The name comes from the Duchess of Valencia, whose family lived in the house until the 1960s, making it one of the longest continuously inhabited palaces in this part of the old town.

Whose coats of arms appear above the doorway? The shields above the entrance belong to the Portocarrero and Golfín families, two prominent noble houses linked to the building's history.

Is Casa de los Duques de Valencia close to other landmarks? Yes — it stands directly on Plaza de Santa María, next to the Concatedral de Santa María, surrounded by other Renaissance and medieval palaces of the old town, so the area is easy to explore entirely on foot.