Ground floor

Tour of the ground floor

Building entrance

The mansion entrance dates from the refurbishment carried out by Giner Rabassa de Perellós y Lanuza, 3rd Marquis of Dos Aguas, in 1740. It was made of alabaster from the marquis’s Ninyerola Quarry (Picassent, Valencia), done by Ignacio Vergara from a design by Hipólito Rovira. There are two sections. At the bottom, on either side of the doorway, two atlases stand over amphorae that spill their waters, a reference to the marquis’s title (‘Marquis of Two Waters’). They are placed next to a lion and a crocodile, which symbolise the continents of Africa and the Americas, representing the dangers of places still outside Catholic control. Above the door lintel, in the centre, two figures of Hercules hold the coat of arms of the marquisate. The upper section is dominated by Our Lady of the Rosary, patron saint of the marquisate, who is shown seated in Rovira’s original design. Below her, two kneeling female figures look up: one of them holds a vessel from which coins spill, the other has a cornucopia with fruit, allegories of Justice and Magnanimity, and of Agriculture and Prosperity, respectively. On either side of the Virgin are depictions of steaming cauldrons combined with horns of abundance spilling their fruits. Above the niche, a winged figure holding a trumpet and laurel wreath represents Fame over the globe.

The fountain courtyard and entrance to the Museum

The terracotta reliefs in the entranceway shows iconography depicting economic and cultural aspects associated with the Marquis of Dos Aguas, and allegorical figures on the balconies symbolising the arts. These various features represent a map of the palace, sculpture and music, agriculture and trade, the sciences and literature, and navigation.

Carriage Courtyard

This is the old courtyard which from 1867 was used as a distribution point for the storehouse and stables within the palace.

Originally paved, it now houses the Nymphs’ Carriage, which belonged to the Marquis of Llanera, and an 18th century sedan chair.

The Nymphs’ Carriage

The gala carriage of the Marquis of Dos Aguas, otherwise known as the Carriage of the Nymphs, was designed and painted by Hipólito Rovira, and carved by the sculptor Ignacio Vergara in 1753. It displays iconography similar to that of the Palace’s façade, which refers to the title of the Casa de Dos Aguas.

The entire carriage body is suspended on leather straps, and is an almost identical model to the Golden Ccarriage which belonged to the prince of Liechtenstein, and also dates from the mid 18th century.

Carriage of the Marquis of Llanera

This Empire style carriage, belonging to the family of the Marquis of Llanera, dates from around 1800 and was donated by his descendants. It was acquired by the grandfather of the current marquis, Vicente Castillo and Crespí de Valldaura. When Vicente Castillo bought it, he commissioned the painter Mariano García Mas (1911†) to capture various 18th century style scenes portraying his two daughters and a cousin of theirs, Mateo Zaforteza, as well as his coat of arms. These were then applied to the doors and rear of the carriage. The upholstery was in need of renovation as it retained no features of the era in which the carriage was built, except for the lace curtains, which are made of natural green silk and embroidered with silver sequins – very typical of the Empire style.

Sedan Chair

18th century Spanish sedan chair. The visible part is made of gilded wood and covered with embossed polychromed leather (guadamecí – decorated cured leather). On the door, which spans the entire back panel, there is an unknown coat of arms, and the interior is lined with white satin and silver brocade.

Main Staircase

The current staircase has been in place since the 19th century in the alcove designed in the 1700s. It was lowered and a ceiling added, obstructing the view of the original dome, which today can be seen from the second floor. The walls boast eye-catching faux marble stucco work which was revealed after the last restoration of the building.

The Dome

The dome, designed by Hipólito Rovira in 1740, could originally be seen from the main stairway, but during the 19th century remodelling a second story was added, blocking the view of the dome from the stairs. The dome can now be viewed from the room adjacent to the Cultures room on the second floor.

During the restoration work in the palace, the dome was cleaned, earlier modifications were removed and the structure was reinforced.

It was refinished in plaster over Llime and sand mortar, with some retouches once dry. It rests upon four triangular pendentives in stucco, the work of Ignacio Vergara, with figures symbolizing the four continents: elephant, lion, horse and crocodile.

The figures by Rovira are from Classical mythology and are distributed in seven scenes in which Minerva is the principal figure. As with the iconography of the main entrance, they probably allude to the world of the marquises.