La Casa de Pilatos, or the House of Pilate, is surrounded by uncertain legends. The building was certainly finished by the Marquis of Tarifa after his return from a Grand Tour of Europe and the Holy Land in the mid-16th century, and the Italian Renaissance elements show his infatuation with what he'd seen.
But the Pilate reference? Some say the house is a copy of a ruined palace, supposedly Pilate's, that the Marquis saw in the Holy Land. Others talk of a correlation between the original Pilate house's proximity to Golgotha, the site of Christ's death, and the proximity of the Marquis' house to a local chapel.
La Casa de Pilatos has a grand Imperial air, with ancient statues, elaborate tiles, a courtyard fountain and elaborate ceilings. Its mix of Mudéjar and Italian Renaissance elements was to prove massively influential.
The Casa de Pilatos is located in the Centro Histórico, a few blocks from the Cathedral.
