Félix Lope de Vega may have been a more complex and fascinating character than any he invented in his many plays. He bought this house in 1610 when he was already an established playwright and lived here for the last 25 years of his life, with his mistress and children by at least three different women. (He fathered 17 in all, although many died in infancy.) This three-story house is an imagined historic restoration from the 1950s, but you can still get a sense of Lope de Vega’s extraordinary, hyperactive life. The furnishings reflect the contents listed in his will. He wrote some 500 plays and 3,000 sonnets and became a priest at age 50. He was particularly fond of his tranquil walled garden at the back. “My little house, my peace, my little plot, my study,” he wrote to a friend shortly after moving in. All tours are guided, lasting 45 minutes, and it’s best to reserve. To guarantee a tour in English, book a couple of days ahead.