The Marquis of Tarifa’s Journey to the Holy Land (1518–1520): Mediterranean Impressions and Sevillian Reflections

A detailed analysis of the pilgrimage diary of Fadrique Enriquez de Ribera, Marquis of Tarifa, reveals his unique aesthetic preferences and political interests during his journey to Jerusalem between 1518 and 1520. The study highlights that despite being a man of the Renaissance, Don Fadrique's aesthetic tastes remained rooted in medieval values, with minimal reference to classical antiquities or Renaissance innovations. His focus on city fortifications, hospitals, and political structures in urban republics, such as those observed during his travels through Italy and the Eastern Mediterranean, underscores his aristocratic background and knightly status. The diary also sheds light on his interactions with significant religious orders like the Hospitallers of Rhodes and Carthusian monasteries. Post-journey, his reconstruction of the Casa de Pilatos in Seville and the creation of a funerary chapel for his ancestors demonstrate a clear influence of northern Italian Renaissance architecture, marking these as the first such structures in Seville and playing a pivotal role in the development of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

Vedyushkin, V. A. (2026). The Marquis of Tarifa’s Journey to the Holy Land (1518–1520): Mediterranean Impressions and Sevillian Reflections. Cuadernos Iberoamericanos, 14(2), 62–89. https://doi.org/10.46272/2409-3416-2026-14-2-62-89