Casa de Castril (Archaeological and Ethnological Museum) - Granada

Ever since the first settlers arrived in Granada, the River Darro has been a fundamental pillar in the city's development. Numerous buildings have been erected around its course. One of the most important buildings on Paseo de los Tristes is the Casa de Castril, a building full of legends.

Located right in front of the Church of San Pedro and San Pablo , the Casa de Castril is today the seat of the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Granada. It is one of the best examples of the houses of the oligarchy of Granada. It belonged to the Secretary of the Catholic Monarchs, Hernando de Zafra.

The building was erected around 1539 . The most striking feature of the Casa de Castril, from an architectural point of view, is its facade, which has a rich figurative repertoire . The facade consists of three parts, is Plateresque in style and made of sandstone.

In the middle of the lower part is the entrance door, surrounded by a wide border with reliefs. In the corners are Roman, Arab and Christian weapons and serpents, and the keystone represents the tower of Comares . This whole is flanked by two Doric fluted columns and shells of scallops.

The central part is divided in two and decorated on both sides with pilasters, which connect the whole. In the lower half are two winged children holding the coat of arms of Hernando de Zafra . Above them, and at the center of the entire facade, is the phoenix on the bonfire, enclosed in a semicircle and guarded by two fierce lions.

On the right there is another balcony on the corner , on which is written: WAITING FOR HER FROM HEAVEN. This motto has given rise to fantastic legends.

The courtyard consists of marble columns supporting semicircular arches on the lower floor and segmental arches on the upper floor. The rooms of the palace are arranged around the courtyard. The main hall is located on the north side, with a garden behind it.

A monumental staircase on the west side connects to the upper floor. The staircase is covered with a richly decorated rectangular Mudejar framework of moamares files. The handrail has also been preserved.

The legend of the House of Castril
According to legend, Don Hernando de Zafra , lord of Castril, lived in this house with his daughter Elvira (Luisa according to other authors). Elvira had as her secret lover the young Alfonso de Quintanilla , a handsome young man from a family hostile to the Zafra family . Luisillo, a boy who worked in the Castril family home, was a confidant of these affairs. When Don Hernando de Zafra arrived one day earlier than expected, Luisillo went to warn his mistress, and young Alfonso was able to escape over the balcony.

When Hernando de Zafra arrived, he found his daughter and Luisillo together . Considering himself dishonored, and despite the young man's protestations that he was innocent, he had him hanged from the balcony. He then had the above inscription engraved, which refers to the last words of the unfortunate page, who died without reaching the justice of men with his pleas, waiting for that of heaven...

Another version of the legend of the House of Castril, with of course the same ending, tells that D. Hernando de Zafra found Luisillo and Elvira reading the love letters exchanged between Elvira and Alfonso de Quintanilla.

Other writings go even further , stating that the curse of the house dates back to D. Hernando's burial and the exclamation "May God let the water bury him", which an old gypsy woman threw at him for shutting off the water . When Hernando de Zafra died, it rained so hard that the water carried his body downstream.

Willem Vandenameele