The building and its history
In the very historical heart of Seville, La Casa del Limonero hotel stands as a living testimony of the rich architectural and social evolution of the city. This majestic building today transformed in a luxurious hotel has been a witness of centuries of history, from its roman roots to its more recent renovations.
The palace house is in the foundational core of the old Hispalis, on the land surrounded by the late republican roman wall. Archeological excavations have revealed remains of pavements linking the enclave with the aristocratic domus of the high imperial Seville. Showing the connection of the building with the millennial history of the city.
During the Late Middle Ages, in the 15th century, the building acquired Mudejar features that are still preserved today. Among the most outstanding are the “alfarje” polychrome wooden ceiling in the breakfast room and the exceptional paving made of Valencian and Sevillian ceramics (“azulejos”) known as “almatraya”, a unique piece which combines Gothic and Nasrid decorative motifs. This paving, restored and exposed now in the reception of the hotel is the testimony of the wealth and sophistication of the former owners. At that time, the house was part of the Infante Alfonso de Molina’s neighborhood and the residence of the influential Marmolejo converted Jew family, whose members occupied high ecclesiastical positions in Seville during the 15th century.
During the Renaissance in the 16th Century, the palace house was submitted to an important alteration which added a marble front dated from 1560, a symbol of prestige and power. This kind of intervention was frequent in Seville, as other contemporary examples like Casa de Pilatos and Casa de los Pinelo evidence. The galleries and interior courtyards were also reconfigured following a classical design inspired by the Italianate ideas of the time.
In the 19th century the building belonged to the Marquis de Urbina, who incorporated decorative moldings, renovated the ceilings and refined the interior spaces. Later, in the 20th century, the Marquis de las Torres, its last illustrious resident, lived in the house before the building took on other functions.
The present structure keeps an exceptionally complete architectural sequence : house door, vestibule, main patio with galleries on two levels, main room, logia or arbour and a wide garden This one, organized on two levels and separated from the main lounges, reminds the roman concept connecting the Hispanic Arabic domestique tradition with Seville cloistered convents.
Throughout the centuries, the palace house was altered to adapt to the likes and necessities of each period, but it has maintained its essence as a place of prestige and sophistication. Its recent rehabilitation has integrated with harmoniously these historical elements with modern facilities, respecting the richness of its legacy.
Today, Hotel Casa del Limonero offers a unique experience, allowing its guests to enjoy exclusivity and comfort while immersing in the living history of Seville. In each corner of the building the echos of its domestic past survive, where tradition and modernity live together in perfect harmony.
