Palacio de Vela de los Cobos
Palacio de Vela de los Cobos
4.5
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 1:45 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
125 reviews
Excellent
69
Very good
39
Average
10
Poor
3
Terrible
4
NHFLSKT
Vero Beach, FL97 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
This is a beautiful palace/ a huge home that is still occupied. There are only one or two options to visit daily in a group. SEMER is the agency to book though. It is the best historical place in Ubeda and worth visiting. There are good support materials for non Spanish speaking and the guides all have English and can help out. Do it, well worth the visit.
Written 2 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judith P
4 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
This describes a tour of this fine house.
It is a privilege to be shown round this imposing House by its impressive and knowledgeable owner. We could not understand how anyone who had had a tour was not suitably impressed. We therefore looked back at many of the less than 5 star reviews. Some had obviously never been to Ubeda ! Many of the others had only seen the exterior. So the rating system is very misleading.
We do not speak Spanish so had the tour in French. The high spot is the magnificent collection of books Natalio Rivas Sabater has collected over a long life. We probably spent too long discussing individual volumes but if one encounters a bibliophile one must take advantage of the meeting. We enjoyed his tales of his family and studied his family trees and shared concerns that his children are not keen to assume the burden of being responsible for such a building and more the library it houses.
Thank you for such a happy evening spent with you in such a delightful building. Long may you remain its loving custodian.
It is a privilege to be shown round this imposing House by its impressive and knowledgeable owner. We could not understand how anyone who had had a tour was not suitably impressed. We therefore looked back at many of the less than 5 star reviews. Some had obviously never been to Ubeda ! Many of the others had only seen the exterior. So the rating system is very misleading.
We do not speak Spanish so had the tour in French. The high spot is the magnificent collection of books Natalio Rivas Sabater has collected over a long life. We probably spent too long discussing individual volumes but if one encounters a bibliophile one must take advantage of the meeting. We enjoyed his tales of his family and studied his family trees and shared concerns that his children are not keen to assume the burden of being responsible for such a building and more the library it houses.
Thank you for such a happy evening spent with you in such a delightful building. Long may you remain its loving custodian.
Written 21 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
josebenjamin
Midland, MI4,588 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
About three weeks ago, my wife and I visited Ubeda and surrounding towns for a few days. I must confess that I did not know what to expect from the visit to this palace.
The guided tour we took (only way to visit), went beyond my wildest expectations. Mr. Natalio Rivas Sabater, the current owner and occupant, took us to several rooms including a bedroom, two libraries, a dinning room, etc. All along he proudly spoke of his ancestry and all the treasures accumulated over several centuries. These included paintings, sculptures, fire arms, ancient books, and even a papal bull.
We enjoyed the whole visit tremendously. The host is a very gentle, friendly man, proud of his possessions, his country, and his ancestors. At one point he also decided to let us see something not shown to every group, his personal office, full of historical photographs and valuable documents of all types.
I must add that Mr. Rivas Sabater does not speak English, but he mentioned that he gives tours in French and German besides Spanish. During our visit I was happy to do the translation to English for the rest of the group. Also, the host does not mind picture or video taking.
Anyone interested in history or art will be pleased with this visit. Ubeda is a very charming town and visiting this palace, made a nice complement to being there.
The guided tour we took (only way to visit), went beyond my wildest expectations. Mr. Natalio Rivas Sabater, the current owner and occupant, took us to several rooms including a bedroom, two libraries, a dinning room, etc. All along he proudly spoke of his ancestry and all the treasures accumulated over several centuries. These included paintings, sculptures, fire arms, ancient books, and even a papal bull.
We enjoyed the whole visit tremendously. The host is a very gentle, friendly man, proud of his possessions, his country, and his ancestors. At one point he also decided to let us see something not shown to every group, his personal office, full of historical photographs and valuable documents of all types.
I must add that Mr. Rivas Sabater does not speak English, but he mentioned that he gives tours in French and German besides Spanish. During our visit I was happy to do the translation to English for the rest of the group. Also, the host does not mind picture or video taking.
Anyone interested in history or art will be pleased with this visit. Ubeda is a very charming town and visiting this palace, made a nice complement to being there.
Written 13 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
twindolphin
Isle of Man32 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
A tour guide is necessary to get a full understanding of this beautiful historic building which is NOT a church, but originally built for Francisco de los Cobos. Our guide was booked for us by the Parador, using the Semer Turismo. There are so many wonderful things to see in Ubeda, but this one really caught our imagination. It is beautifully lighted at night as well.
Written 2 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BennyMalaga
Malaga, Spain89,730 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
There is a guided tour of the Palace of Vela de los Cobos that visitors to Ubeda should take. It shows the beautiful interiors of the palace. There are guided visits and the Semer Turismo office to reserve these visits is located across the street at Calle Juan Montilla, 3. Cost is 4 euros.
The Palace of Vela de los Cobos was constructed by Andres de Vandelvira in the middle of the 16th century for Francisco Vela de los Cobos, the Governor of Ubeda, Captain of Cavalry in the war against the Moriscos of Granada, and a Gentleman of the the Court of Felipe II. He died in 1569 and his family line came to its end in 1642. The people who bought the palace did not take care of it and it deteriorated until 1873.
It was then that the banker Ignacio de Sabater from Madrid bought the palace and restored it. This gentleman had amassed a very large fortune in banking and was a senator in the Spanish parliament. He lived between 1855 and 1939. His great-grandson is Natalio Rivas Sabater and the present owner of the palace. The last restoration took place in 1966 and has left the palace in a very good condition. If one is lucky, the owner will be the person giving the tour.
The facade has three floors. The main entrance has two Corinthian columns that are joined by a lintel. Above this is a small balcony with a large window on the second floor with Ionic columns on each side and a triangular pediment on top. On each side of the window is a warrior that holds the coat of arms of the owner of the palace. There are other balcony windows with pilasters or columns and pediments, and with wrought iron railings. The small balconies with windows became very popular in the second half of the 16th century and 17 century. The corner balcony was used frequently in the Spanish Renaissance. It has a slender marble column. The third floor has an open gallery that is decorated with geometric figures in the pilasters, arches, and balconies.
The palace has one of the best private collections of art in the city, with an important library and historic archives. The library has about 6000 books now, some printed in the 16th century. The rare books are probably the most valuable part of the palace, more than the paintings. One of the best parts to be seen in the tour is the very large dining room, where the distinguished diplomats and important people have had reunions with the family. The period furniture and art work are also very interesting.
We were fortunate that the person who gave us the tour was the owner and we were only 6 on the tour.
The Palace of Vela de los Cobos was constructed by Andres de Vandelvira in the middle of the 16th century for Francisco Vela de los Cobos, the Governor of Ubeda, Captain of Cavalry in the war against the Moriscos of Granada, and a Gentleman of the the Court of Felipe II. He died in 1569 and his family line came to its end in 1642. The people who bought the palace did not take care of it and it deteriorated until 1873.
It was then that the banker Ignacio de Sabater from Madrid bought the palace and restored it. This gentleman had amassed a very large fortune in banking and was a senator in the Spanish parliament. He lived between 1855 and 1939. His great-grandson is Natalio Rivas Sabater and the present owner of the palace. The last restoration took place in 1966 and has left the palace in a very good condition. If one is lucky, the owner will be the person giving the tour.
The facade has three floors. The main entrance has two Corinthian columns that are joined by a lintel. Above this is a small balcony with a large window on the second floor with Ionic columns on each side and a triangular pediment on top. On each side of the window is a warrior that holds the coat of arms of the owner of the palace. There are other balcony windows with pilasters or columns and pediments, and with wrought iron railings. The small balconies with windows became very popular in the second half of the 16th century and 17 century. The corner balcony was used frequently in the Spanish Renaissance. It has a slender marble column. The third floor has an open gallery that is decorated with geometric figures in the pilasters, arches, and balconies.
The palace has one of the best private collections of art in the city, with an important library and historic archives. The library has about 6000 books now, some printed in the 16th century. The rare books are probably the most valuable part of the palace, more than the paintings. One of the best parts to be seen in the tour is the very large dining room, where the distinguished diplomats and important people have had reunions with the family. The period furniture and art work are also very interesting.
We were fortunate that the person who gave us the tour was the owner and we were only 6 on the tour.
Written 14 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olga_G_USA
New York140 contributions
Oct 2019
We have felt unwelcome as the old owner, his wife and the dressed in blue maid was rushing us through the visit by walking behind us, telling us to stay with the group and closing doors to our faces. Rude behavior, considering the fact that the admission tickets pays for the maintenance of the place.
Written 14 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
agusticassa
Girona, Spain1,484 contributions
Nov 2018 • Solo
the city is a marvel, a world heritage site, and this palace stands out for having a window with a column in the corner, something very unusual
Written 2 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks!
Written 3 December 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lella P
Chamonix, France515 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
We booked the guided tour without knowing that that afternoon the kind owner would be our guide .We couldn't have asked more as this charming man who speaks also perfectly French took the 6 of us all around his palace and because one couple from New York was friend of one of his best friends living in the USA ,the tour never ended .....after 2 hours and half we said good bye and hugged as old friends .His house needs renovations but it's full of history ,the library is amazing with 6000 books some dating 1500 and even a papal bull .If you love cook books he has a wonderful collection in his private area , that he might show .
Written 27 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BennyMalaga
Malaga, Spain89,730 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
The Palace of Vela de los Cobos was constructed by Andres de Vandelvira in the middle of the 16th century for Francisco Vela de los Cobos, a councilman of Ubeda and Captain of Cavalry in the war against the Moriscos of Granada.
The facade has three floors. The main entrance has two Corinthian columns that are joined by a lintel. Above this is a small balcony with a large window on the second floor with Ionic columns on each side and a triangular pediment on top. On each side of the window is a warrior that holds the coat of arms of the owner of the palace. There are other balcony windows with pilasters or columns and pediments, and with wrought iron railings. The small balconies with windows became very popular in the second half of the 16th century and 17 century.
The corner balcony was used frequently in the Spanish Renaissance. It has a slender marble column. The third floor has an open gallery that is decorated with geometric figures in the pilasters, arches, and balconies. The palace was remodeled in the 19th century and has one of the best private collections of art in the city, with an important library and historic archives.
The facade has three floors. The main entrance has two Corinthian columns that are joined by a lintel. Above this is a small balcony with a large window on the second floor with Ionic columns on each side and a triangular pediment on top. On each side of the window is a warrior that holds the coat of arms of the owner of the palace. There are other balcony windows with pilasters or columns and pediments, and with wrought iron railings. The small balconies with windows became very popular in the second half of the 16th century and 17 century.
The corner balcony was used frequently in the Spanish Renaissance. It has a slender marble column. The third floor has an open gallery that is decorated with geometric figures in the pilasters, arches, and balconies. The palace was remodeled in the 19th century and has one of the best private collections of art in the city, with an important library and historic archives.
Written 20 April 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
250ABR
Cottingham, UK217 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
You can only visit this palace if you book a tour in advance at the agent opposite, the tours are conducted by the owner who despite being in his 90's is very sprightly and engaging. The palace is a tour into the past with most of the rooms laid out how they would have been many years ago when the Spanish aristocracy was in its heyday. The collection is extensive, particularly books and documents, and the owner, despite not speaking much English, can explain about some of them. We were very impressed by this tour and would highly recommend it.
Written 29 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
¿Hay que concertar la visita o simplemente ir en horario de mañana?
Gracias.
Written 24 November 2019
en Semer Turismo y Cultura sito en la Calle Juan Montilla nº 3, podrá adquirir las entradas al Palacio Vela de los Cobos.
Written 26 November 2019
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