The palace with a Salón Chino

The Palacio de la Cotilla stands as one of the few remaining examples of 17th-century civil architecture in Guadalajara. Built in the early 1600s over the homes of Inés de la Cotilla, a local landowner, the palace presents a sturdy exterior of exposed brick with a white limestone portal and heavy iron grilles protecting the windows.

Inside, the layout centers on a courtyard with limestone columns and carved capitals. The building has endured significant changes over the centuries, including a major reconstruction following a massive fire in 1920. During the civil war, its underground galleries and cellars were used as refugio.

The most distinct room is the Salón Chino. In 1892, the owners Ignacio Figueroa and Ana de Torres, marqueses de Villamejor, commissioned an expansion that integrated new designs with the original typology. The walls are covered in hand-painted wallpaper depicting scenes from medieval Chinese life based on epic legends.

Today, the palace functions as a municipal school of arts. Its status as a Bien de Interés Cultural was declared in 2023, recognizing its rare interior ornaments and architectural value.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons