The "alcazar" of Medina de Pomar and the "Casa del Cordón": the creation of the specialized noble palace

Abstract

In the Late Middle Ages, both royal and noble palaces were in a process of specialization of spaces and functions. This development has normally been studied taking as examples the royal palaces, but noble palaces also participated in this evolution. This article focuses on the palaces of the Castilian noble family Velasco as a case of study. Two main palaces, Medina de Pomar and la Casa del Cordon, were built at the end of the fourteenth and fifteenth century respectively, and in them we can perceive the evolution in the creation of specialized spaces, the adoption of features coming from other architectural tradition and the process of adaptation to the new social and ceremonial needs.