The now-vanished palace of Mosén Sorell was built by Tomás Sorell, the sole heir of a wealthy dye merchant and one of the individuals with the greatest fortunes in 15^th century Valencia.  This sumptuous abode would become a benchmark for other great buildings to come in its wake.  The main façade, with its singular portal, led to an interesting courtyard.  From the inside of the building, we can catch a glimpse of the imposing Hall of Legends and several inner portals, some of them still preserved today.

 

The demographic and commercial rise of Valencia during the 15th century led to the construction of prominent stately homes for the aristocracy and the commercial bourgeoisie. The profound transformation that took place during this century is apparent.  At the end of the 14^th century, town councillors bemoaned the fact that there was no decent building in the city to receive illustrious guests.  Yet just one century later, European travellers marvelled at the number of private palaces.¹  Although it is true that many of these buildings had already been there one century earlier, other sizable luxurious residences were constructed or renovated throughout the 15^th century.  The sober Mediterranean Gothic façades reached up to fifty metres long, such as the house of the Duke of Gandía, son of Pope Alexander VI, in Valencia.

 

One of the best examples of the new potentates’ desire to display their wealth was what is nicknamed Mosén Sorell’s palace, most likely built between 1455 and 1460, although it underwent significant renovations in the 1480s.  The building reached the 19^th century in somewhat mutilated shape, and it vanished utterly after a fire in 1878 and a purposeful demolition.  Nevertheless, the remnants preserved in several museums and the graphic documentation from its last period enable it to be virtually reconstructed, and they suffice to deem it one of the most extraordinary examples of private civil architecture in the city of Valencia.  An added note of interest is the possibility of categorising this palace along with other prominent stately dwellings from its time, the Mediterranean Late Gothic period, in Palermo (the Abatellis and Aiutamicristo palaces), Naples and Campania (the Carafa palace; the Marzano and Novelli palaces in Carinola; Antignano in Capua) and Perpignan (the Bernard Sanxo house).