About this place
Palacio de Eguarás in Tarazona is a Renaissance town palace and one of the city's most important pieces of civil architecture, standing right beside the cathedral, just outside the old town walls.
Who built the palace, and when?
The residence was commissioned by Antonio de Guaras (Eguarás) Cunchillos de Liori, a wealthy merchant and diplomat from a family long settled in Tarazona. Most of the construction took place between 1559 and 1562, though the building was later extended and reworked more than once. The Guaras were among the richest households in Tarazona during the 16th-century growth of the city toward the right bank of the Queiles river.
What does the palace's architecture look like?
The floor plan is arranged in a U shape around a large square courtyard. The east and south wings rise two storeys, while the west wing has only one. The courtyard is framed by four columns with Ionic capitals carved by French stonemason Guillaume Brimbeuf — an unusual signature for this corner of Aragón, and a clue to how far the founder's artistic ambitions reached.
Are the original interior decorations still there?
Yes, and they are the palace's standout feature. In the 1560s the Italian painter Pietro Morone decorated several rooms with murals depicting allegories of the virtues and the liberal arts, along with mythological scenes such as the wedding of Neptune and Amphitrite. Fragments of plaster relief from one of the original fireplaces, showing processions around a central medallion, have survived and are now kept at the Centro de Estudios Turiasonenses.
What is in the palace garden?
A sizeable garden extends alongside the building. It was enlarged during a late-19th-century remodeling carried out under the viscounts of Alcira, when the palace also gained its current south wing opening onto the greenery, along with new ornamental planting.
Did excavations reveal anything older than the palace?
Archaeological digs carried out in 2000 uncovered Roman pottery, coins, and the remains of structures dated to the 2nd–3rd centuries AD. The finds show that the plot later occupied by the Renaissance palace had already been settled in Roman times.
Who manages the building today?
The palace belongs to the Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza, which is restoring it with the aim of turning it into a cultural centre and exhibition space. It stands at Paseo Fueros de Aragón 32, directly next to Tarazona Cathedral.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Palacio de Eguarás located? At Paseo Fueros de Aragón 32 in Tarazona (Zaragoza province, Aragón), right next to the cathedral and just outside the old city walls.
Who built it? Antonio de Guaras (Eguarás) Cunchillos de Liori, a merchant and diplomat, mainly between 1559 and 1562, with later extensions.
What is the palace's most valuable feature? Its Renaissance murals by Pietro Morone, showing allegories of virtue and the liberal arts plus mythological scenes, together with the courtyard columns carved by Guillaume Brimbeuf.
Who owns the palace now? The Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza, which is restoring the building to convert it into a cultural and exhibition centre.
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