Palacio de los Almarza

Palacio de los Almarza is a Renaissance city palace inside the walls of Ávila's old town, one of the stops on the "Ávila palaciega" trail that links the city's historic noble residences.

Where is it located?

The palace stands within Ávila's medieval walls, close to two historic gates — Puerta del Rastro and Puerta del Matadero. The surrounding streets are lined with stone palaces from the period when the city's civil architecture reached its peak, so a visit pairs naturally with a short walk through this stretch of the old town.

How do you get there?

Ávila sits in the Castilla y León region, roughly 100 km from Madrid — about an hour by train from the Spanish capital. The old town is compact and best explored on foot; the palace lies in its eastern section, a few minutes' walk from the city walls. Parking is available just outside the walls, from where narrow old-town streets lead in on foot.

What can you see there?

Construction is dated to the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, the period when Ávila produced most of its grand noble and merchant houses. Building work was likely interrupted around 1520 and resumed some years later, which explains the slight inconsistencies in architectural detail visible today.

The palace has two floors and a three-storey tower at one corner — a feature typical of Ávila residences from this era, which were built with defence in mind as well as prestige. The façade is austere, made of dressed granite blocks with little ornament. The main entrance portal echoes the style of the nearby Mansión de la Velada — a Renaissance design with lingering Gothic touches, characteristic of this transitional period in the region's architecture.

The building holds Bien de Interés Cultural status, Spain's heritage-protection designation, and features on the official palace route promoted by Ávila's tourism board.

Can you go inside?

For more than a century the palace served as a convent: the Servants of Mary, Ministers of the Sick, lived there for 138 years before leaving the building in November 2022. In 2025 the property was bought from the congregation by the Diputación de Ávila, the provincial government, for 1.1 million euros. The interior remains closed to visitors, so the palace is best appreciated from the outside — its façade and tower set against the surrounding wall architecture.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for exploring Ávila's old town; summers can be intensely hot and dry, a result of the city's altitude and the continental climate of the Meseta plateau. Early morning light works best for photographing the granite façade and the nearby city gates.

Frequently asked questions

Is Palacio de los Almarza open to visitors? No — the interior is closed to the public. You can only view the building from the outside, walking the streets near the city walls.

Who owns the palace today? Since 2025 it has belonged to the Diputación de Ávila, the provincial government, which purchased it from the Servants of Mary congregation for 1.1 million euros.

When was the palace built? Construction dates to the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, with work paused around 1520 and completed some years afterward.

What's the most distinctive architectural feature? The three-storey corner tower, the austere granite façade, and the Renaissance main portal with Gothic touches, stylistically close to the portal of the Mansión de la Velada.