Casa del Mono, Cáceres

Casa del Mono, in the old town of Cáceres, is one of the noble stone houses that earned the city its status as a City of Monuments. It stands among the narrow lanes of the historic quarter, close to the routes visitors follow between the Plaza de Santa María and the rest of the walled town.

What does the facade look like?

The entrance is a round-arched doorway built from carefully cut stone blocks. Above it sits a coat of arms held up by two carved lions, combining the emblems of four families: Cáceres, Nidos, Andrada and Pizarro — a sign that the house was raised out of a marriage alliance between these lineages. A stone frame known as an alfiz runs around the shield, a decorative device typical of the period. Higher up, an ogee-arched window breaks the wall, with a second window to its right carrying Gothic ornamentation beneath the sill. A wide cornice tops the whole facade, set with three gargoyles that once channelled rainwater off the roof, a practical feature of the era's fortified town houses.

Why is it called the "House of the Monkey"?

The name has nothing to do with the family that commissioned it. It comes from a small stone monkey figure kept in the house's inner courtyard. Generations of residents in Cáceres have spun stories around that carving, and those local legends have become as much a part of the building's identity as its Gothic stonework.

Who built it, and when?

The house was commissioned in the 15th century by Gonzalo de Cáceres and his wife, Marina Alonso de los Nidos. That is why some records list it under its fuller name, Casa de los Cáceres-Nidos-Espadero-Pizarro, or the shorter Casa de Pizarro-Espadero — the extra surnames reflect later family and marriage connections, echoed in the four-family coat of arms on the facade. Architecturally it belongs to the casas fuertes, fortified town houses that Cáceres nobility built during periods of feuding between rival families in the city.

What is inside the building today?

The house currently holds the Biblioteca Alonso Zamora Vicente, a library run by the Diputación de Cáceres, the provincial government. That means Casa del Mono is not a sealed monument you can only admire from the street — it functions as a working library, so visitors can step inside during its opening hours rather than settling for a look at the facade alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Casa del Mono? It was commissioned in the 15th century, making it more than five hundred years old and one of the oldest noble houses standing in the old town.

Can visitors go inside? Partly, yes. A public library, the Biblioteca Alonso Zamora Vicente, operates inside the building, so access is possible during its opening hours, even though it is not set up as a tourist attraction.

Why is it named after a monkey? Because of a small stone monkey carved into the inner courtyard, around which several local legends have grown over the centuries in Cáceres.

What does the coat of arms on the facade represent? It is a combined shield of four families — Cáceres, Nidos, Andrada and Pizarro — mounted above the entrance and held by two lions, marking the family ties of the people who built the house.