Certain cities have a soul, are homes

Transcription

1 CORDOBA

2 The Casa Mudéjar Certain cities have a soul, are homes to memories, mythical places in the collective imagination. These cities have their own paradigms that permeate into world consciousness. Cordoba is one of these places, a living organism shaped over centuries by different spaces that intertwine to create an identity of meeting points. One of these spaces is this house, an impression that survives time, opening its front door to take us into a complex world of large rooms and split-level patios, interlinked by passageways, covered balconies and stairwells. Half hidden at the back of the ancient Calle del Tesorero (today Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener), and close to the Aljama Mosque, this house is the result of the joining of five houses and four courtyards built between the 14 th and 15 th centuries. Its original structure and layout is still intact, important remnants of Mudéjar domestic and feudal architecture, the abode of important families in Cordoba, such as the Venegas and Córdoba families. Its courtyards are a reflection of the plaza, meeting points that are the transition between public and private space, and one of Cordoba s main charms. Beyond its Baroque facade, with its stone support for mounting horses, we delve into a covered stone passageway that takes you into the first patio, where the stables and coach houses are found. Here, a triple Mudéjar arcade with octagonal pillars overlooks a renaissance fountain with a figurehead. The next patio, connected to the previous by the landing of the main stairway, is the most important and preserves the oldest remnants of the past; in the centre there is a tiled fountain and a well in front of the house s main room, accessed from a portico with semi-circular arches held by Calateral front

3 liph shafts and capitals that pre-date the house due to the reused materials they are made from. In this area the ceilings catch the eye: in the covered balcony the ceiling is made from plaster that imitates wood, and the one that covers the main room is decorated with organic and geometric features and has arches with the coat of arms of the Venegas and Córdoba families. This part of the house, based on Caliph palace constructions, reflects the influence of Islamic architecture in this period and what really makes it unique is the plasterwork on the front door (late quarter of the 14 th century). Through a covered balcony there is another interior courtyard with a trough, accessed from the main courtyard, with an intriguing kitchen on the upper floor equipped with a stove and a tiled bell-shaped chimney. On the upper floor there is also another of the house s large rooms (probably a bedchamber) decorated with a series of painted murals from the end of the 15 th century, which are the work of Pedro Romana and Pedro Fernández and one of the finest displays of the scant remains of painting from this time period found in the city. Among the geometric decor and tracery the coat of arms of the Córdoba and Carrillo families are visible alongside the human figures identified as a representation of virtues (Faith, Charity, Strength, Prudence, and Justice). Thus the house maintains a large part of its original architectural structures despite its different uses throughout the centuries: palace, living quarters, the home of the Archaeological Museum of Cordoba between 1923 and 1959 and the project for ethnological museum in the Eighties as well as being used as administrative and cultural offices in the Nineties. Today, converted into the home of Casa Árabe, with three courtyards, an exhibition

4 space, assembly room, meeting rooms, seminar rooms and offices, the house is still a vibrant space inhabited by memory, and from within its four walls it will continue to work to project this memory into the future. With the mix of remains from the 13th century, Mudéjar, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque... this unique space is a simple reflection of the city of Cordoba: a mix of races, diversity, multiculturalism and meeting points. Our past and heritage is not a hollow stage, but a living organism that continues to make history and project these values out into the world from places such as the Casa Mudéjar. 1 2 M.ª Dolores Baena Alcántara director of the archaeological MuSeuM of cordoba 1. Patio of the fountain 2. alfarje 3. StableS 4. Patio of the trough 5, 6 & 7 Mudéjar PaintingS of the 15th century 3 6

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6 Casa Árabe The Cordoba headquarters Casa Árabe is a consortium formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Spanish Agency for International Development, the autonomous communities of Madrid and Andalusia and the town councils of Madrid and Cordoba. It is run by a Governing Board and a General Directorship. Its High Board of Trustees is presided over by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain. The main goals of Casa Árabe, with headquarters in Madrid and Cordoba, are to strengthen bilateral and multilateral policies, to promote economical, cultural and educational relations, as well as supporting the development of training and knowledge on the Arab and Muslim world. Casa Árabe wants to be a place of mutual knowledge and shared reflection: a meeting point. The logo of Casa Árabe, which evokes the c of casa-home is also a stylized version of the Arabic letter ayn, the initial of the word arabi, Arab. 3 Casa Árabe s headquarters in Cordoba is known as the Casa Mudéjar building, which comprises five different houses linked by galleries, passages and stairways, with three courtyards and a tower. The original building dates from the 14 th century, although most of the present structures belong to the 15 th and 16 th centuries. It is located in the southern area of Cordoba s historic centre, near the Mosque-Cathedral, within the area declared a World Heritage Site. National Heritage has handed over this historic building to Casa Árabe as its headquarters in Cordoba and the restoration and adaptation works of the Casa Mudéjar to host Casa Árabe have been awarded the World Heritage Cities Award 2011 by the Ministry of Culture. 1. Meeting room 2. Patio with Mudéjar arcade 3. exhibition room and Plasterwork of the late 14 th century 4. auditorium 5. Media library

7 services and WebsiTe Media Library. It is a multimedia centre specialised in contemporary Arab cinema and culture, as well as in resources related to the Arab world s politics and society. It has a bibliographic collection of reference works, in addition to sound and video archives. Auditorium and Cinema. With capacity for 100 people, this is a dual-use space adaptable for conferences and film shows. Exhibition room. It is an area designed to show exhibitions and artistic installations. Meeting rooms. Multipurpose spaces for seminars, forums and small courses. Patios. The headquarter comprises three courtyards for outdoor activities. Cafeteria. It is located in the old stables of the House with self-service machines. Website. Casa Árabe s website offers detailed information on the whole range of activities which are organized and announced by the institution. It is also a reference site of different resources available online, on economics and business, on Arabic language and on Arab countries contemporary culture and socio-political latest news

8 mezquita-catedral guadalquivir C/ Samuel de los Santos Gener, Córdoba Depósito Legal CO Casa Árabe is a ConsorTium Comprising: