Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz

The palace was built by order of Álvaro de Bazán, the first Marquess of Santa Cruz and admiral of the Navy, also a knight of the Order of Santiago and captain of the Ocean Sea. Located in Viso del Marqués (Ciudad Real), it served the marquess's need at the time to live at an equidistant point between the Madrid court and his fleet bases in Cádiz, Cartagena, and Lisbon.

The seafarer hired Giovanni Castello and other Italian artists for the construction of his palace. Thus, the Italian Renaissance style arrived in La Mancha. It consists of two floors, most of which are fresco-painted, all by Italian masters reflecting a clear mannerism. Probably the highest quality pictorial ensemble of the Renaissance in Spain. In total, more than 8,000 square metres of pure Renaissance art.

Since 1948, the building has housed the General Archive of the Spanish Navy "Don Álvaro de Bazán". State-owned and managed by the Ministry of Defence, it contains all documents related to the Spanish navy since the 18th century. It is declared a Property of Cultural Interest.