The Palacio de Orleans-Borbón is Sanlúcar's grandest building — a romantic Moorish Revival palace built between 1853 and 1870 as the summer residence of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, and his wife the Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain. The exterior blends neo-Mudéjar arches, ornate tiling, and a garden of tropical plants that spills over the terrace walls above the lower town.
After the Bourbons were expelled from Spain in 1868, the palace passed through various hands before becoming the official residence of the presidents of the Junta de Andalucía. The interior is not always open to visitors, but the building is spectacular from the outside, and the terraced gardens offer fine views over the estuary towards Doñana.
story: "Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, had ambitions to become King of Spain. He funded liberal causes, intrigued against Queen Isabella II, and in 1870 fought a duel with his cousin Carlos, killing him — which effectively ended his chances of ever taking the throne."