Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna

Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna is a Renaissance townhouse standing in the historic centre of Tudela, a city in Navarre, Spain, on the banks of the Ebro river.

What is this building?

The house dates back to the 16th century and stands on Calle Rúa, one of the main streets of Tudela's old town, close to the Church of San Nicolás. Built on a near-square floor plan, it rises three storeys and is faced in brick, decorated with ornate balconies, carved busts, and a small gallery of arches running along the front. Inside, the original period courtyard and staircase survive, along with Renaissance friezes on the walls. The square inner courtyard is laid out in three sections, giving the interior a distinctive, layered feel.

Above the entrance sits a Baroque stone coat of arms of the Ibáñez de Luna family, dating from the late 17th century. It was placed there in 1672 by José Ibáñez Luna, a canon of the local cathedral, marking the house as belonging to his lineage. In the 18th century the house was home to the Señorena family, and today it belongs to Juanjo Bienes, a well-known archaeologist from Tudela. Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna is regarded as one of the notable pieces of civil architecture in Tudela and remains a fixture of the old town's streetscape.

The building is privately owned, so visits are limited to admiring the façade and courtyard entrance from the street while strolling through the old quarter.

How do you get there?

Tudela sits in southern Navarre, in the Ribera district, and is well connected by rail — on the line linking Zaragoza with Bilbao and Pamplona — as well as by the AP-68 motorway running along the Ebro valley. From the train station, the old town and Calle Rúa are an easy walk through the historic centre. Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna sits within the dense, pedestrian-friendly fabric of the old town, so the best approach is on foot, walking from the Santa María cathedral towards the Church of San Nicolás.

What will you see?

The building's greatest asset is its façade: plain brick set against rich stonework — balconies, carved busts, and an arcaded gallery. Look out for the Baroque family crest above the entrance, a reminder of the Ibáñez de Luna family's former standing in the city. Walking the surrounding streets, it's easy to compare this house with Tudela's other historic townhouses, which together form a dense network of period architecture from the city's heyday as an important centre in Navarre.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for exploring Tudela's old town, when temperatures in the Ebro valley are milder than the hot summer months. These seasons also make it easy to pair a visit to Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna with the nearby cathedral and other old-town landmarks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Casa de los Ibáñez de Luna? No — the building is privately owned, so only the façade and courtyard entrance can be viewed from the street.

How old is the building? The house dates from the 16th century, while the stone family crest on its façade was added later, in 1672.

Where exactly is it located in Tudela? It stands on Calle Rúa in the old town, close to the Church of San Nicolás.

What else is worth seeing nearby? It's worth wandering the surrounding streets of the old town, home to other historic houses and mansions once belonging to Tudela's noble and merchant families.