Castellón de la Plana's 18th-century academic architecture palace

The Palacio Episcopal de Castellón de la Plana is situated on Gobernador Street and was constructed in 1793. It stands as one of the few examples of academic architecture in the city, built at the expense of Fray Antonio José Salinas y Moreno, the bishop of Tortosa, who commissioned the work from Miguel Tirado.

The building has a rectangular plan that develops from a main core consisting of the zaguán, the vestibule, and the staircase. In the entrance zaguán, covered with a lowered barrel vault, there are the various dependencies of the semisótano and two lateral stairs leading to the entresuelo. The steps of these stairs are decorated with Alcora tiles with vegetal themes. A wooden gate leads to the vestibule, which is also covered with a lowered barrel vault, where the stone staircase begins with a first section of five steps followed by the imperial staircase.

The main floor preserves its original structure and is divided into three zones. The central zone, oriented to the west, houses the salon, chapel, and office. To the left, oriented south and east, are the private rooms, while the right side, oriented north, is the area for various services. Some rooms on this noble floor feature Alcora floor decorations. The upper floor is used as an attic without any division.

Externally, the facade is a rectangular composition structured into four bodies. The lower level is a high stone base where the sótano oculi are located. The entresuelo and the first floor are organized by segmental-arched balconies, separated by stone cornices. The building is topped with a parapet with a pediment and an oculus in the central body. The facade features a stone doorway with a lowered arch and pilasters, with an inscription above it referring to the construction of the building.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons