Casa del Sol, Cáceres

Casa del Sol is one of the noble stone houses tucked into the old town of Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It stands among the narrow lanes where the region's wealthiest families once built their fortified town residences.

Where does the name come from?

The house takes its name from the coat of arms carved above the entrance: a stone sun with a human face, its rays bitten by dragon heads, topped with a knight's helmet. This is the emblem of the Solís family, which is why the building is also known as Casa del Sol o de los Solís. Its present form dates from a 16th-century rebuilding commissioned by Francisco de Solís and carried out by master stonemason Pedro Gómez, replacing an earlier 15th-century structure on the same spot.

What will you see on the façade?

The entrance is a round arch built from carefully cut stone voussoirs. Above it sits the Solís coat of arms, and higher still a Gothic alfiz frames the central window. The upper section of the tower carries a semicircular machicolation pierced with cross-shaped arrow slits and resting on three corbels, flanked by two semicircular windows with a depressed arch. Together these features make the house a textbook example of Cáceres' fortified civic architecture, where towers once signaled both status and defense.

How do you get there and what should you know before visiting?

The house sits inside the walls of the old town, best reached on foot from Plaza Mayor, the natural starting point for exploring Cáceres. Casa del Sol is not open for interior visits: it currently houses a religious community, the Fathers of the Precious Blood, and serves as the seat of the Gaspar del Búfalo Foundation. Treat it as a stop on an architectural walk through the monumental quarter, admired from the street alongside the neighboring palaces and towers.

When is the best time to visit?

Early morning or late afternoon works best for walking the old town, when the sun sits lower and the stone façades take on a warmer tone — and the summer heat typical of Extremadura is easier to handle. Spring and autumn bring milder temperatures for longer walks up the steep cobbled streets.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Casa del Sol? No — the building is occupied by a religious community and functions as a foundation's headquarters, so visits are limited to viewing the façade from outside.

Why is it called the "House of the Sun"? Because of the Solís family coat of arms above the entrance: a stone sun with a human face, its rays bitten by dragon heads.

How old is the building? The original structure dates to the 15th century; its current appearance comes from a 16th-century rebuilding commissioned by Francisco de Solís.

How do you walk there from central Cáceres? The easiest route is on foot from Plaza Mayor into the old town's lanes — the entire monumental quarter is closed to car traffic and is best explored walking.