The austerity of the Portuguese Hall was a precedent for another kind of rooms, which are not as luxurious as the previous ones. In fact, the rooms we are about to visit were aimed at the servants of the palace, more specifically to the kitchen, as they were very close the Dining Room, used daily by the marquis.

The first one is the so-called Country Kitchen, with a rustic and popular Andalusian style. It is completely covered by a barrel vault. On the right we can see a big fireplace, where there is a collection of eighteen English china jugs with metal decoration. Two Mudejar carpets from the area of Alpujarras cover the flat floor of the kitchen and they are decorated with geommetrical elements. The kitchen, with vegetable coal hobs, has a great earthenware bowl made in ceramic from Seville, plates, platters, jugs and different beautiful items.

It was curiously Fausto Saavedra y Collado, third and last marquis of Viana’s favourite place to hold his social gatherings.

If we walk a bit further we will find a second kitchen, typically Andalusian, frequently used to cook appetizers and breakfasts for the marquis and marchioness. With white walls and restrained decoration, it stands out because of endless items that we considered forgotten, such as a magnificent copper set of fifty seven pieces, or a collection of more than fifty pieces of popular ceramic, which call our attention at the entrance of the room. Time does not seem to have passed through them. Curiously, we have preserved the list of the different dishes that could be cooked for the marquis’s meals.

Next to the kitchen we can find a small room: the Small Hall of Trays which, as we can see from its name, is a small room where numerous trays hang, covering almost all its white walls. The collection consists of a total of 36 pieces, all of them gathered by José de Saavedra, second marquis of Viana. They are made in different material, some of them in wood, painted, lacquered, or even decorated with small nacre incrustations.

If you are wondering what to visit in Córdoba, a good option would be Viana Palace, choosing one of our guided tours. This way you will learn everything about the different kitchens. Choosing to do high quality sightseeing is choosing ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.