PALACE OF THE MARQUIS DE BENIEL

This is the city's most representative monument in terms of civil architecture. Erected by order of Don Alonso de Molina y Medrano in the early ^17th century, it blends Mudejar and late Renaissance styles. The exterior features a marble portal bearing the Molina Medrano family coat of arms, wrought-iron balconies and an upper gallery. Inside, a charming patio rests on Tuscan columns, giving structure to the space. The magnificent Renaissance-style coffered ceiling above the stairwell is also noteworthy. Today, the building is home to the María Zambrano Foundation, a Vélez-Málaga-born philosopher and emblematic figure of ^20th-century Spanish intellectual circles.