This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(January 2024) |
Palacio de la marquesa de Villalba | |
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General information | |
Status | Occupied |
Type | Palace-Courtyard |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
Classification | Residential |
Location | Maximo Gomez (Monte) |
Town or city | Ciudad de La Habana |
Country | Cuba |
Coordinates | 23°08′01″N82°21′24″W / 23.133650°N 82.356731°W |
Elevation | , |
Named for | Marquesa de Villalba |
Estimated completion | 1875 |
Client | Marquesa de Villalba |
Technical details | |
Structural system | Load bearing |
Material | Stone |
Floor count | 2 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Eugenio Rayneri |
Architecture firm | Eugenio Rayneri y Sorrentino |
The palace of the Marchioness of Villalba, built around 1875, features the work of architect Eugenio Rayneri y Sorrentino. According to historian Carlos Venegas in his book "The Urbanization of Las Murallas: Dependence and Modernity," the palace maintains the traditional structures of Havana's stately homes while updating its ornamentation with precise historicist features. The main floor displays Corinthian pilasters and curved or triangular pediments, alternating with the transparency of the two galleries of the main central patio. The architect incorporated a Gothic motif of a pointed arch in the portal arch, showcasing an eclectic and historicist expression. This departure from strict neoclassicism demonstrates a more daring approach in the conception of its forms and in the modernization of the style. It is located on what is today is Calle Egido 504 in Havana. [1]
After the city walls were torn down in 1863, the construction of the Marchioness of Villalba's palace became one of the most significant projects. The area, where manufacturing was prohibited for strategic reasons, saw the rise of splendid residences, tobacco factories, and public buildings of great architectural grandeur towards the end of the 19th century. The exceptional use and design of the urban complex in the Las Murallas District was evident in the harmonious coexistence of different building types. Palaces like Palacio de Aldama and Balboa, tobacco shops such as Gener and Calixto López, hotels, theaters, Spanish regional headquarters, and others were interspersed throughout the area. The Villalba Palace is located in the neighborhood of Las Murallas the area of the old city walls that eventually came to be circumscribed by Calle Monserrate and Calle Zulueta. [2]
Rayneri, born in Italy and arrived in Cuba at a young age, passed away there in 1922. He grew up and received his education on the island, completing his training at the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. Rayneri was responsible for significant projects in Havana, including the reconstruction of the Tacon Market, the Roma Hotel, the Fire Station, and various office and public service buildings. [lower-alpha 1] Rayneri served as a professor at the University of Havana's School of Engineering for many years. The Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba and the Mercado de Tacón were built almost simultaneously in 1875 and 1876, respectively. Rayneri was likely involved in both projects at the same time. Despite this, each structure exhibited the necessary characteristics of its typology while also featuring daring designs for the time, particularly from a stylistic perspective. Rayneri, by incorporating formal elements from different sources, foreshadowed the architectural style that would dominate the early 20th century. Rayneri was also the father of Eugenio Rayneri Piedra the architect of Havana Capitolio building in Havana. [2]
In terms of its decorative elements, the Palacio de la Marquesa de Villalba showcased plaster stuccoes on the ceiling in the Neo-Baroque style, as well as iron bars, railings, and certain fixtures in the openings. The grand cast iron entrance door was reminiscent of the academic features of the Second French Empire. Notably, the building stood out for the monumental staircase and the overall composition of its façade, which, according to architect Joaquín Weiss, adopted Italian Renaissance patterns. The design featured expansive halls, generous courtyards, and wide galleries. However, the residence maintained the traditional layout of Havana's stately homes, which had been well-established since the 18th century: a ground floor with a central courtyard, a main floor, and mezzanines. Similar to the Aldama palace, the Villalba palace also accommodated two houses with their patios and separate entrances behind an academic façade. The marchioness's mansion, located at present on Egido 504, formerly 2, later came under the ownership of the Count of Casa Moré. However, around 1880, José Suárez Murias established his tobacco factory "La Flor de José Murias" there. As a merchant from a family dedicated to the cigar business, he found the old mansion in Reparto Las Murallas to be suitable for his industrial purposes. [2]
Urban speculation and subleasing resulted in the former palace being transformed into a tenement house. This was not far from the practices of its owner, Mrs. Josefa E. Testa y Soto, who made substantial profits from urban rentals, particularly in the poorest neighborhoods of Havana. These were her major investments, enabling her to build her grand home and amass a capital of one million pesos, half of which was in the form of numerous properties. By 1951, some of its spaces were repurposed for housing, with the Castellano Center and the Israelite Center of Cuba occupying the upper floor, and the “Yumurí” bar-lunch and José Zaldiba's fabric store-warehouse situated on the ground floor. Today, the building is predominantly used as residences, the bar-cafeteria of the same name, and the Rosalía de Castro Cultural Society. Despite its adaptations for other uses, the mansion of the Marchioness of Villalba, due to the passage of time, land overexploitation, and lack of maintenance, remains one of the most notable constructions of 19th-century Cuban architecture. [2]
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Photographic Archive of Historic Havana]
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