Palacio de Viana

We finish the axis of spaces that were traditionally used by the servants with the Courtyard of the Gardeners, named like this as it was here where the gardening equipment of the palace was kept, more specifically in the current Multiple Uses Room.

The courtyard was part of the houses of the counts of Torres Cabrera, obtained by Diego Rafael Cabrera y Fernández de Mesa, seventh marquis of Villaseca and count of Villanueva de Cárdenas in the 19th century.

The current look of the Courtyard of the Gardeners is owed to the second marquis of Viana, José Saavedra y Salamanca and later, to the third marchioness of Viana, Sofía Amelia de Lancaster y Bleck, as they incorporated archaeological and decorative elements which decorate the courtyard today, distancing it from what it once was and giving it a distinction look. They brought objects mainly from Moratalla Palace (in Hornachuelos) and Viana Palace in Madrid, as in many other spaces of Viana Palace.

The Courtyard of the Gardeners is annexed to the Courtyard of the Well, already mentioned. Its floor is irregular and very long. However, it can be considered as a typical courtyard from Córdoba, where its white walls are almost completely covered by numerous flowers, in this case, jasmines and geraniums.

The right face at the entrance is formed by a wall covered by yarrow growing in a flower bed with bricks horizontally arranged, where different types of geraniums grow. The other bigger face is formed by the façade of the palace, where there are several openings. The higher ones correspond to the lattice work of balconies and windows, whereas the lower ones, to windows painted in blue.

The ground is made of thin and flat brick, and almost in the centre, there is obviously a grey-marbled fountain with a pond, decorated with leafy vegetation. Almost all the doors are flanked by plain-shafted columns, similar to the ones used in other courtyards, such as the reception of the archive. The balconies, with their lattice work, are decorated with leafy vegetation. Besides, a recent tile remembers that the oil mill of the Laguna was opened with the presence of King Alfonso XIII in the year 1926.

If you wish to know the Courtyard of the Gardeners of Viana Palace, do not hesitate to hire one of our guided tours. We are experts in the interpretation of the historical heritage from Córdoba. If you have chosen to do sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a high quality option, choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.