Palace of the Councils or Palace of the Duke of Uceda

Located in the district known as Madrid de los Austrias, this stately palace built in the Baroque style is one of the few remaining examples of noble residential architecture from the 17th century. Built by order of Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval-Rojas, 1st Duke of Uceda, a favourite of Philip III, it was designed by Alonso de Turrillo, and built by Pedro de Pedrosa (although other sources attribute it to Francisco de Mora, architect to the King) between 1613 and 1625.

Imitating the look of royal Alcazar fortress in Madrid, the rectangular building is distributed around two different sized courtyards. Because of the slope of the land on which it stands, the front section is divided into three floors, and the back section into five. The combination of brickwork and stone is beautiful in its simplicity. In 1615, the Duke founded the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament as an annex to the palace. The scale and design of this building was a reflection of the magnificence and power of the Duke of Uceda during the reign of Phillip III.

Currently, this magnificent building houses the offices of the State Council.