Viso del Marqués: Palace Culture and Nature

The Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz is an Italian-influenced Renaissance palace built between 1564 and 1588. The palace features Mannerist frescoes in the courtyard, on the staircases and in the halls. The frescoes were created by a group of Italian painters that included Giovanni Battista Peroli, Esteban Peroli and Cesare de Bellis. On the façade of the Jardines del Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz are two niches containing praying and funerary figures of Don Alonso de Bazán, the second Marqués de Santa Cruz, and his wife María de Figueroa. A ship’s bow is located among the green foliage in the Jardines del Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz.

Culture

The Archivo-Museo Álvaro de Bazán houses the Archivo General de la Marina, a nationally recognised historical archive with 80,000 bundles of records on naval history from 1784 to the Spanish Civil War. The museum displays 16th-century furniture and ship models; weapons and scientific instruments are also among the objects on display.

The stuffed Nile crocodile known as the “Lagarto de Viso” hangs in the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; the Marqués de Santa Cruz brought it back from one of his seafaring expeditions. The Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is a 15th-century Gothic church. It can be visited during worship services; admission is free.

The Museo de Ciencias Naturales AVAN is a free museum with more than 1,700 butterflies from around the world and fossils from all geological eras. This makes it possible to consider architecture, naval history, sacred architecture and natural history as different cultural areas of focus when planning your visit.

Nature

The Valle de los Perales is a nature reserve in the Sierra del Viso. It has public recreational facilities including a kitchen for the recreation area, firewood, tables, wooden benches, a children’s playground and municipal swimming pools for children and adults. The Sierra del Viso and Sierra Morena are designated as Sites of Community Importance and Special Protection Areas for birds.

Routes

The Ruta de la Batalla de las Navas de Tolosa was launched in March 2012 as a cultural and tourism initiative and includes Viso del Marqués as one of its stops. The CM-4111 road from Ciudad Real to Almuradiel passes through Viso del Marqués. When booking a holiday apartment in Viso del Marqués, you can compare travel dates, apartment size and cancellation policies side by side on the offer pages. You can organise your visit to the town according to your own priorities among culture, nature and the route.

Other places: Almedina, Alcázar De San Juan, Los Cortijos, Brazatortas, Porzuna, Venta De Cárdenas, La Solana, Terrinches.

To the main travel overview: Ciudad Real.