Casa Márquez

Casa Márquez is located in the main square of Villahermosa and is one of the most recognizable examples of historic civil architecture in the municipality. Also known as the Casa de los Abat-Sandoval, it retains the appearance of a 17th-century main residence, linked to prominent local families. Its position in a central urban space enhances its significance within the tour of the town's ancestral homes, especially due to the visual connection it establishes with other historic buildings in the surrounding area.

The façade combines masonry, ashlar, and rubblework, with meticulous attention paid to the entrances, lintelled openings, and corners, all crafted with fine stonework. The most distinctive feature is the wooden balcony, protected by a wide eave covered with Arabic tiles that acts as an extension of the roof. This eave rests on a stepped arrangement of corbels, with pieces of varying profiles: the lower ones are keel-shaped, the middle ones are S-shaped or bracket-like, and the upper ones have a lobed cross-section. The composition is completed by three uprights, brackets, and a turned balustrade, which give the whole a very characteristic presence.

The visit should begin from the outside, as the building remains a private residence. It is worth pausing to admire the facade, appreciating the wooden work of the balcony and the quality of the stonework, elements that highlight the importance of domestic architecture in Villahermosa during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although a recent restoration altered part of the original roofline, with the loss of the chimneys and the central mansard roof, the house remains a key element in understanding the historical character of the square and the evolution of the town's main residences.