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19-06-2023, 08:44 PM
Radio Sintonia:
The House of English, an architectural symbol of opulence in the eighteenth century.
The Casa del Inglés is a house of the S. XVIII, located in the place called "Site of Don David", in the town of La Oliva, located on the left side of the road that goes from La Oliva to Villaverde.
Symbol of opulence
This house is an important example of the architecture developed by the rural bourgeoisie. It is external evidence of the economic power of the agricultural and commercial bourgeoisie that settled in La Oliva. It was erected by Mr. Julián Leal Sicilia, whose family, coming from the island of La Palma, was dedicated to agriculture and trade between the Canary Islands and America. The house has two floors and is distributed around a large patio with cistern that was later divided into two by means of a partition that crosses it from north to south.
A house in the hands of several owners
Various vicissitudes that affected the economic activity of Mr. Sicilia caused the sale of the house, which eventually became the property of Mr. Parkinson, an English naturalist, dedicated to the study of the flora and fauna that spent long periods in Fuerteventura. The presence of this gentleman in Fuerteventura is the one that has remained in the memory and even today the house is known as "Casa del Inglés". Mr. Parkinson sold the house and subsequently received different uses. After the Civil War it was occupied by the army, remaining in it for several years the infantry troops in one part and in the other a nursing service of the military forces located at that time in La Oliva. It is currently uninhabited and very deteriorated.
Building structure
The house, with a quadrangular floor plan and double height, is articulated around a large patio. It is made with good masonry walls, using stonework ashlars in the openings and corners.
South façade. It is the main façade, presenting two differentiated modules counting each of them with four open holes in the walls; the module on the right is covered with three waters and Arabic tile seen, has two windows at the top and on the ground floor two doors; The module on the left has two doors in the lower part and two others on the upper floor that at the time had a balcony, now disappeared. The entire top is crenellated.
Facade of Naciente. This side has several open holes in the wall; On the upper floor two small windows and three doors, one of them retaining remains of the wood of the balcony. On the first floor there are two small windows and a door, the latter walled up.
West façade. Fully crenellated at the top. On the first floor it has two doors, one at ground level and another placed at half height with an access staircase. On this side of the house was located the toilet, which protrudes from the wall and is covered with tile.
North façade. In the north wall there are six holes, one at the top and five on the ground floor, two of them walled up. In front of this side and separated from it, remains of a rectangular construction of a single floor are preserved.
Source: Government of the Canary Islands
link to article for pic
The House of English, an architectural symbol of opulence in the eighteenth century.
The Casa del Inglés is a house of the S. XVIII, located in the place called "Site of Don David", in the town of La Oliva, located on the left side of the road that goes from La Oliva to Villaverde.
Symbol of opulence
This house is an important example of the architecture developed by the rural bourgeoisie. It is external evidence of the economic power of the agricultural and commercial bourgeoisie that settled in La Oliva. It was erected by Mr. Julián Leal Sicilia, whose family, coming from the island of La Palma, was dedicated to agriculture and trade between the Canary Islands and America. The house has two floors and is distributed around a large patio with cistern that was later divided into two by means of a partition that crosses it from north to south.
A house in the hands of several owners
Various vicissitudes that affected the economic activity of Mr. Sicilia caused the sale of the house, which eventually became the property of Mr. Parkinson, an English naturalist, dedicated to the study of the flora and fauna that spent long periods in Fuerteventura. The presence of this gentleman in Fuerteventura is the one that has remained in the memory and even today the house is known as "Casa del Inglés". Mr. Parkinson sold the house and subsequently received different uses. After the Civil War it was occupied by the army, remaining in it for several years the infantry troops in one part and in the other a nursing service of the military forces located at that time in La Oliva. It is currently uninhabited and very deteriorated.
Building structure
The house, with a quadrangular floor plan and double height, is articulated around a large patio. It is made with good masonry walls, using stonework ashlars in the openings and corners.
South façade. It is the main façade, presenting two differentiated modules counting each of them with four open holes in the walls; the module on the right is covered with three waters and Arabic tile seen, has two windows at the top and on the ground floor two doors; The module on the left has two doors in the lower part and two others on the upper floor that at the time had a balcony, now disappeared. The entire top is crenellated.
Facade of Naciente. This side has several open holes in the wall; On the upper floor two small windows and three doors, one of them retaining remains of the wood of the balcony. On the first floor there are two small windows and a door, the latter walled up.
West façade. Fully crenellated at the top. On the first floor it has two doors, one at ground level and another placed at half height with an access staircase. On this side of the house was located the toilet, which protrudes from the wall and is covered with tile.
North façade. In the north wall there are six holes, one at the top and five on the ground floor, two of them walled up. In front of this side and separated from it, remains of a rectangular construction of a single floor are preserved.
Source: Government of the Canary Islands
link to article for pic