Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija

In the early twentieth century, the Countess of Lebrija did something that would be a jailable offence today: she bought Roman mosaics excavated from the ruins of Italica, the ancient city just outside Seville, and had them installed as the floors of her sixteenth-century palace. The result is one of the most eccentric and beautiful private homes in Spain — a place where you walk across 2,000-year-old Roman artwork to get to the living room.

The centerpiece is the main patio, whose floor is dominated by a mosaic depicting the god Pan surrounded by satyrs, maenads, and grapevines. It was found at Italica in 1914 and carefully reassembled in the palace. Around it, additional mosaics from different Roman sites cover the floors of adjoining rooms, making this the largest collection of Roman mosaics in a private residence anywhere in the world. The Countess was not merely collecting; she was rescuing — many of these mosaics were in danger of being destroyed by agricultural plowing.

Above the Roman floors, the palace itself is a showcase of Mudejar architecture. Arabic-style arches frame the courtyard, carved wooden ceilings show Islamic geometric patterns, and the tilework blends seamlessly with the classical mosaic underfoot. The upper floor is decorated in a mix of European and Asian styles, reflecting the Countess's wide-ranging taste and extensive travels.

The palace sits on Calle Cuna, a busy shopping street, and most passersby have no idea what is behind the unassuming entrance. Step through the door and you travel from twenty-first-century Seville to second-century Rome in a single stride. It is one of the city's genuine hidden gems, visited by a fraction of the tourists who crowd the Alcazar a few blocks away.