Valencia’s El Cabanyal district features in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper

It is said that the best publicity is free publicity and, thanks to writer and Hispanophile Jason Webster, Valencia has been the recipient of some very welcome attention recently.

Webster, whose wife Salud hails from the city, published an article in Britain’s The Guardian newspaper about Valencia’s colourful and historic El Cabanyal district, praising it as a “working-class jewel of art-nouveau design”. However, he was eager to point out to readers that, despite officially being a ‘protected historical zone’, this unique part of Valencia faces demolition as part of a scheme to extend one of the city’s avenues from the city centre to the sea.

Dating from the 13th century, El Cabanyal actually comprises three separate neighbourhoods, El Canyamelar, El Cabanyal and Cap de França, and owes its name to rows of steep-roofed (formerly thatched) fishermen’s cabins, known as barracas, which used to frame the beachfront. However these days only vague remains of these structures still stand.

Following a fire towards the end of the 16th century, the area’s inhabitants were able to employ their increasing wealth to replace these modest residences with much grander two and three-storey townhouses. The most notable and attractive aspect of these beautiful buildings though is the tile work that covers their facades.

As with house names and garden areas, the inhabitants have, over the years, chosen to display something of their personal passions and characters through their tiles. Although experts agree that Art Nouveau is the dominant influence, one can also see aspects of Baroque, Art Deco and some impressive examples of artistic eclecticism.

Over the years these impressive edifices have been employed as visual insurance policies; Webster notes that many designs incorporate a sea god or a ‘pesca dels bous’, a dragnet that enabled laden fishing boats to be dragged to shore using oxen, showing the inhabitants desire for big catches and a safe return to dry land.

Visit Valencia this year and see these amazing buildings for yourself – and remember to take your camera!

To read the article in full click here.

New post on at Tuesday, 25 May, 2010, 10:55 am and is archived in Art, Culture, Décor/Architecture/Industrial & Furniture Design, Lifestyle, Places of Interest. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.