Discovering Cartagena

More Articles By Phillip Bruce www.raxomnium.com

Try Some Desert Island Cruising

A Colourful Façade 

One of the most cheerful buildings in Cartagena is the Llagostera House in Calle Mayor. 

The place is a bit of a mess at the moment, apparently as a result of a very long running legal case.  The effect of this has been to stop the building being restored as the arguments continue. 

On the ground floor there is a great little bar that is very typical of Cartagena – the Gran Bar.  Pop in for a cool beer and a bit of tapas.  There is a big mosaic on the floor that entwines the letters “GB”. 

The glory of the building is its façade which is covered in colourful tiles and balconies.  Key figures are the gods of commerce and business Mercury and Minerva.  The shields of the places that were important to the wealthy family that built the house in 1916 can also be seen.  The architect who seems to have designed just about everything in Cartagena in the early part of the 20^th century, Victor Beltri, was responsible.  The ceramics were made by Gaspar Polo. 

Minerva is seen much less often than Mercury in ornamentation. She started out as the Roman patroness of craftsmen and the professions, although she later also became associated with war.  She seems to have Etruscan roots and she was one of the Capitoline triad together with Jupiter and Juno.  The height of her popularity came under the reign of the Emperor Domitian, who reigned from 81AD to his murder in 96AD.  He had some success in fighting the Scots but is largely remembered for his rapacity and persecution of Christians which inspired the writing that favourite of religious nuts everywhere, the Book of Revelations.   

The figure of Minerva is almost directly across the street from the church of Saint Dominic, a 13^th century Spanish persecutor of heretics and founder of the Dominican Order. They were a preaching order and burned many heretics known as Albigensians or Cathars, in southern France. In Spain they were enemies of Jews and Moors.  The Dominicans were key players in the Inquisition.   

Maybe sometime the problems over the Llagostera House will be sorted out and perhaps the most colourful façade in Cartagena will be properly restored.  Let’s hope the Gran Bar continues in its happy occupation of the ground floor for years to come. 

end

BACK

© Phillip Bruce 2006-2008 All Rights Reserved

Legal Notice - All script & pictures on this website are legally registered and the copyright property of Phillip Bruce. Any copying of material whatsoever from this site is strictly forbidden and legal action will follow unless prior permission is sought.

Gary Smith Fishing