The Escoriaza-Esquivel Palace is one of the most significant buildings in the city of Vitoria.
Fernán López de Escoriaza, physician to King Henry VIII of England and, later, to Emperor Charles V, and his wife, Victoria de Anda y Esquivel, ordered the construction of this palace in the mid-16th century. Due to its architectural and ornamental richness, it is one of the best examples of Renaissance civil architecture in the Basque Country.
Built of masonry stone, it is organised around a square courtyard with double arches superimposed on three sides and a staircase. The capitals and medallions of the columns are richly decorated. The interior conceals a spectacular square courtyard with double arches covered by a skylight. The inner courtyard that we find as soon as we enter the palace is known as the courtyard of love, due to the medallions and bas-reliefs it contains. These depict various mythological figures related in some way to love. Thus, we can see Lucretia, a Roman noblewoman who stabbed herself with a dagger after being dishonoured. We can also see Venus and Mars who lived a forbidden love since she was married to the god Vulcan. In another of the medallions we see Nero, near another medallion dedicated to Gaius Mucius, Scevola, "the left-handed", who burnt his right hand for love of Rome. In two of the upper corners of the courtyard, two female images represent human love and sublime or supernatural love. On the upper floor you can visit the room where the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País (Royal Society of Friends of the Country) used to meet.
The main façade, facing a small square, has a plateresque façade with busts of the owner and his wife, Victoria de Anda y Esquivel.
The building, which is just a few metres from Santa María Cathedral, has recently been acquired by Vitoria City Council. Guided tours are offered during long weekends, Easter and summer. Until it was sold, it housed the headquarters of the Patronato Eclesiástico de Aguirre foundation, which was in charge of its management, so it was not possible to visit it.