Episcopal Palace of Orihuela

Episcopal Palace of Orihuela

Built on the land occupied earlier by the Corpus Christi hospital, one of the city's medieval hospitals. In 1558 the city exchanged plots with Archishop Esteban Almeyda and the hospital was relocated to the Parish of Santiago. The building may have started in the 16th Century, soon after the establishment of the Orihuela Bishopric. It underwent profound changes in the 18th Century under the reigns of Bishops José Flores Ososrio and Pedro Albornoa Tapia. In the mid-20th century, it lost its original functions, was restored at the beginning of the 21st Century and is currently home to the Diocese Museum of Sacred Art. At the back, facing the river, there is a gallery with semi-circular arches. Inside, another striking feature is the cloister with heraldic decoration, the main staircase of Alicante marble and the dome built on an octagonal base, with exterior cobalt blue glazed tiles.