Casa Quintana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Casa Quintana |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mudejar |
| Town or city | Santa Maria de Guia de Gran Canaria |
| Country | Canary Islands |
| Coordinates | 28°08′21″N 15°37′59″W / 28.139132376405072°N 15.633185505867003°W |
| Construction started | 1533 |
| Completed | 1533 |
The Quintana House is a very old and important building in Guia de Gran Canaria. This town is on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The house is located in the main square, and its oldest parts date back to the 1500s. It has a special Canarian balcony made of wood, designed in the Mudejar style. You can also see a family crest on it, showing the names Guanarteme and Quintana.
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History of Casa Quintana
How Guía Became a Town
Before 1526, Guía de Gran Canaria was part of another town called Gáldar. But then, Guía became its own town with its own local government. To lead this new town, a person named Fernando Alonso de la Guardia was made the first Royal Mayor. He decided to live in the lower part of the town. This area later became known as "Villa de Abajo." The church of Santa María de Guía, which the house faced, became an official parish in 1533.
The Quintana Family
Many years later, in the early 1600s, the house became the property of Gonzalo de Quintana and Betancourt. This is why it is now known as Casa Quintana, or the House of the Quintanas.
Over the centuries, the house was passed down through different family members. For example, Juan Antonio de Acedo Bethencourt and Quintana Guanarteme inherited it in the 1700s. Later, in the 1800s, María de los Dolores Acedo and Suarez owned it. She lived to be 95 years old!
Interesting Stories from the House
The Casa Quintana has seen many interesting things. In the late 1700s or early 1800s, two brothers, Gaspar and Lorenzo Montesdeoca, lived there. They were priests and asked a famous artist, Luján Pérez, to create a beautiful statue of the Virgin de las Mercedes.
It's also said that plays were performed every year in the basement of the house's unique balcony. During one of these plays, a famous writer and priest named José de Viera y Clavijo discovered a talented young boy. This boy, Pedro José Gordillo Ramos, later became an important priest and politician.
The house was also the childhood home of Simón Bonifacio Rodríguez y Rodríguez and José Rodríguez y Rodríguez. José lived there from 1934 until he passed away in 2012.
Architecture of Casa Quintana
The Casa Quintana still has some parts from its original building in the 1500s. One special feature is a door in the inner courtyard. It has a unique arch shape called an ogee arch, which is a style from the late Gothic period.
The house shows the typical design of homes for wealthy families in the Canary Islands. When you enter through the main front door, you come into a small entrance area. This leads to an inner courtyard. From the courtyard, you can go into different rooms. There's also a staircase that takes you to the upper floor.
Upstairs, you can see beautiful wood panels in the Mudejar style, with fancy rococo details. There's also a special cupboard built into the dining room wall. Downstairs, there were once cellars and a stable for animals.
The most noticeable parts of the house are on its main front. The main entrance is framed by stone blocks that have a special textured look, known as "cushioning." This style was common in Gran Canaria. The main door is connected to a window on the upper floor, which also has a decorative sill and a top border.
Another very special part of the house is its wooden balcony on the right side of the front. It's covered and has a railing made of lattice grid. This type of balcony is quite unique because of where it's placed on the building.
Current Status
The Casa Quintana is considered a very important cultural landmark. It's part of the historic area of Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria. This is because of its long history and beautiful artistic design. It also stands proudly in Guía's main square.
Sadly, the building is currently in a state of disrepair and neglect. The last person living there moved out in 2017.
Gallery
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Façade of Casa Quintana in 2003.
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Side view of Casa Quintana in 2003.
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Casa Quintana in 1977.
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Casa Quintana from the Church of Guía in 2003.
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Interior courtyard of the Casa Quintana in 2012.
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Door on the left side of the inner courtyard topped by an arch of memories of ogee arch.
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Access to the house from the right door of the interior patio.
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Blazon of the façade of the Casa Quintana.
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Access to the house from the inner courtyard from the left door.
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Tea roof of the salon
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Corner of the roof of tea
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Tea roof of the living room and lamp.
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Casa Quintana in party.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Quintana para niños
