The Casa del Gigante stands out for its structure centered around a courtyard with a pool, characteristic of oriental design. Although the building has been modified over time, it retains its original layout. The entrance leading to the porch and the north room is richly decorated with ataurique and cursive inscriptions, and remnants of polychromy and plasterwork similar to those of the Puerta del Peinador in La Alhambra of Granada, dating back to the 14th century, can still be appreciated.
The name of the building comes from two large anthropomorphic stone reliefs, possibly of Phoenician or Punic origin, that decorated the corners of the building. Today, only one of these reliefs remains, with its shape barely discernible.
History
The Casa del Gigante was built in the late 13th century and, due to its size, must have been one of the most important residences in the city, belonging to a member of the Merinid nobility. After the conquest of Ronda by Ferdinand the Catholic, the palace passed into the hands of the corregidor Ruy Gutiérrez de Escalante, later belonging to Rodrigo de Ovalle and, in the 17th century, to Fernando Reynoso. In 1656, ancient tombs with inscriptions and urns, presumably Roman, were found inside the house.
In the 19th century, the house was used as an inclusa or foundling home. In the 20th century, it returned to private ownership and was rehabilitated in the 21st century to be visited as a testament to the architecture of the last Muslim period in Spain. It was finally opened to the public in December 2004 and has served as a center for interpreting daily life in Muslim Spain since 2015.
