We are facing a
Palace probably made built before 1540 by
Mr. Diego de San Cristóbal Ballesteros Eguía and his wife Mrs. María Cruzat y Jaso. This building shows a beautiful façade, where the bricks predominate and it is remarkable because of its monumental verticality. The first part presents on its right side, a stone façade protected by a frame which finishes in two little corbels sculpted with two human heads. The façade offers a rich and grotesque ornamentation. A blazon decorated with fruited garlands, represents the
Saint Cristobal and Cruzat lineage. On the second floor we can see two balconies flanked by semi-columns supported by little atlas. This semi-columns finish up in a frieze which has a curved tympanum flanked by children that, at the same time, support emblems of the founders of the Palace. The frieze of the balcony situated on the left , relates 4 of the 12 works of Hercules: Hercules fighting against the Hydra of Lerna, helped by his friend Yolao, Hércules confronted to Anteo the Giant, killing Nemea’s lion and fighting against Neso the centaur. Over this frieze we can see two busts: one of them masculine representing Hércules and the other one feminine that could be Diana, Hebe o Minerva.
Inside there is a
central patio with two levels with different heights and decorated with twisted columns. Both of them have a profusely decorated band with cherubs and men, women and busts of angels. The Palace’s construction has been related to the stonemason Gil de Morlanes “the young” or Martin de Oyarzabal who worked in
Irache’s Monastery cloister.