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At the beginning of XX century, Spain was going through a
period of economic prosperity. The town of Teruel wasn’t an
exception. The bourgeois merchant families rivalled each
other in constructing many commercial and living buildings.
A new artistic style of unique characteristics would come to
dominate. It was called
Modernism.
Modernist structural and ornamental elements are inspired by
vegetable motifs, Curve patterns stands out. Many materials
like brick and tile, which had fallen into disuse, reappear
again. Art forgery also revives in its decorations. In
this style, imagination, suggestion, decoration and
functionality melt together in perfect unity.
Modernist architecture in the town of Teruel is due to the
famous architect of excellence Pablo Monguió. Born in
Tarragona in 1865, he built a splendid career in our town.
There are lots of buildings in Teruel, which represent
Paolo Monguió´s
work.
While some of them are documented and recognized to be
part of his artworks -
Ferrán House ,“La Madrileña” House or “El Torico”
House,
others owing to the lack of any written records are supposed
to be his -“Escriche” House, “Pharmacy” House, ”Bayo” House.
His other artworks are the Arrabal Schools, Salvador´s
Church in Villaspesa. The south door of the Cathedral is
considered to be one his most beautiful Neomudéjar
contributions.
The Ferrán House is devoid of a distance outlook due to the
narrowness of the streets. It is enclosed by El Salvador, El
Pozo and Nueva Street. Monguió used this corner façade to
point out to the exterior all the beauty that it implies.
This building represents more than any other the maturity of
the modernism in the town of Teruel.
The façade of the building of “La Madrileña” is so narrow
that hardly makes a room possible. It must be in the upper
part of the façade where he would show the exuberance of the
Modernist style in such a limited space.
At present, the building of the “Tejidos”/ El Torico/ House
is restored and occupied by Caja Rural bank office. The
double façade permitted to its author to achieve a high
degree of expressiveness, mainly the one facing the square,
where there is a variety of exterior decoration on each
floor. The angle formed by the two façade walls is crowned
by a turret, which could be considered a real jewelry of the
Modernism in the town of Teruel.
Many other buildings, dating back to the early XX century,
are also of a great interest. They all correspond to the
same period, although some are Modernist, others represent
Historicism and Neomudéjar style or mix up these three
inspirations. |
