A visit to Córdoba, also known as ´the city of flowers´ is best done in May during the Córdoba Patios Festival, one of the most anticipated events when local residents open their courtyards and patios to the public, making the entire city a visitable tour of private floral displays. It is open over several days when the judges also make their rounds to decide on the winner.
If you can´t get to Córdoba during the festival there are several private patios that are open all year round and the crowds to visit them are a lot less. You can also get your fix of flowers and visit some of Cordoba’s most beautiful and historical patios all year at the fabulous Palacio de Viana Museum with its 12 patios.
Inside the Palacio
From the outside, the façade of the Palacio de Viana isn’t very large or impressive but it remains one of the most important stately homes around. Step through the doors, and it’s a trip back in time.
A visit to the Renaissance palace is really a five-century mishmash of architectural styles. A grand, private home that was added to over generations, by the resident noble family – Viana – who lived there from 1425 until the 1980s. What we can see today in the Palacio de Viana museum is 500 years of furniture and décor, art work, leather, tiles, books, fabric and wall coverings, chandeliers, and more, all there in still life, a portrait of times gone by.
Patio de los Naranjas
Palacio de Viana Patios
After you’ve admired the implements and tough daily lives of 500 years of Spanish noble history in the palace museum the patios call. Wandering outside where each of the 12 patios has a distinct style, look and feel. Among them are the Patio de los Naranjos -Orange Tree Courtyard named after the orange trees in the middle of it. In spring the abundant flowers fill the courtyard with a scent of orange blossom.
There´s the intimate Patio de la Madama – Lady’s Patio is a statue of a nymph, while the Patio del Pozo– Courtyard of the Well has some stunningly vibrant bougainvillea. The Patio de Columnas – Courtyard of the Columns is the newest patio, added in the 1980s, it often hosts special events and concerts.
Around the Palace gardens and courtyards you will spot around 80 species of plants and trees, all looked after by the expert gardening team. See if you can find the stately holm oak in the garden which is more 400 years old.
Patio de las Rejas
In 1571 when Luis Gómez de Figueroa y Córdoba, the second lord of Villaseca and María de Guzmán y Argote got married their social status changed and with it the desire to build a rather more ornate entrance to the palace, which resulted in the construction of the Patio de Recibo (Reception Courtyard), which they added in the 16th century.
Flower Patios in Cordoba
Fausto Saavedra y Collado and his wife Sofía Amelia de Lancarter y Bleck inherited the property in the early 1900s and it is their transformation which we can see today. They also brought many of their works of art and furnishings from their palace in Madrid. After the death of Fausto in 1980, Sofia became the heir and the palace was then sold to Caja Provincial de Ahorros de Córdoba in 1980 and it became this fascinating museum and wonderful grounds a year later.
Visiting days and hours vary each season, so do check them. When the world-famous Córdoba Patio Festival is on in May the entrance to the Palacio de Viana is free. If you´re short on time you can visit just the patios without visiting the palace itself but in my opinion, from more than one visit, both are worth it.
See some of my other Córdoba posts….
3 Great Hotels in Córdoba´s Old Town
Turkish Bath? A Hammam Experience? Hammam Al Andalus in Córdoba
Visit the Patio de Viana website.