Palace of the Enríquez de Ribera

In the heart of Bornos, in the province of Cádiz, stands a building that neatly sums up how the Andalusian nobility transformed old fortresses into stately residences. The Palace of the Enríquez de Ribera came into being in the 16th century from the Fontanar Castle, when the Ribera lineage decided to turn that defensive structure into a home befitting their status.

One of its greatest draws for visitors is the garden, which combines Renaissance taste with Arab heritage. A stroll through it helps you understand the blend of traditions that characterises so many corners of Andalusia, and lets you take in, from within, the dialogue between the greenery and the palace's architecture.

The complex that can be explored today is largely the result of an exemplary restoration. Between October 1992 and September 1995, a Workshop School undertook the almost complete recovery of the building, including the garden, the walled exterior and the wrought-iron windows. What made that project unusual is that it also served to train its students in traditional crafts such as ironwork, painting, carpentry, gardening, stonemasonry and bricklaying, so that every restored grille and wall also bears the mark of that apprenticeship.

It is well worth heading up to the first floor, where an interpretation centre has been set up to help place the palace in its context and better understand its history. It makes a good starting point for discovering Bornos and for appreciating how an old castle ended up as an elegant Renaissance residence.