The palace, known as the Purullena Palace, was considered the most sumptuous house-palace of shippers to the Indies. Sponsored by Agustín Ortuño Ramírez, a wealthy and distinguished merchant who purchased the title of Marquis of Villareal and Purullena, the construction of the palace began in 1750 on the corner of Cruces Street and Pozuelo Street on the site of an old building.
The house follows the model of the Palace Houses of Indian shippers, distributed over four floors and with a mirador tower on the corner.
The main façade faces Cruces Street, which is accessed through a wide marble doorway crowned with the coat of arms of the Marquis. The main façade overlooked the patio, through the gatehouse, and on the first floor, its large central balcony with an iron handrail and the windows that opened to the outside of the different rooms: the ballroom, the portarit room and the battle room.
At the back: the garden and the large galleries of the main floor, chapel, dining room, cellars and cisterns.
The outstanding features of this great complex include its magnificent patio, the grand imperial staircase -that leads to the first floor-, the square watchtower and the decoration on its interior roof, the walnut beams and the portables tiles in one of its halls.
Queen Isabella II stayed at this palace in 1862, after her stay in El Puerto. The richness of this rococopalace was referred to in his chronicles of royal travels by Ponglilioni, the chronicler of this royal visit to the city.
The building is currently owned by the Town Hall of El Puerto de Santa María and houses some municipal offices.