Pontevedra Central Post Office Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Pontevedra Central Post Office
Casa de Correos y Telégrafos de Pontevedra
Central Post Office entrance
General information
Type	Post Office
Architectural style	Art Nouveau
Location	Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
Coordinates	42°25′48.1″N 8°38′41.6″W / 42.430028°N 8.644889°W / 42.430028; -8.644889
Construction started	1915
Completed	1929
Opening	1930
Cost	348,967 pesetas
Owner	Correos
Management	Correos
Technical details
Floor count	4
Design and construction
Architect	Carlos Gato Soldevilla
Main contractor	Cándido Casalderrey

The Pontevedra Central Post Office is a cool building in the city of Pontevedra, Spain. It's located right in the middle of the busy shopping and business area, between Oliva Street and García Camba Street. Since it was built, it has been the main office for Correos (the Spanish postal service) in Pontevedra and its province. There's an olive tree in front of the main entrance, which is how Oliva Street got its name!

History of the Post Office
What the Building Looks Like
Gallery
See also
- Related articles

History of the Post Office

In the 1800s, Pontevedra needed a big, central post office. This was important because it was the capital of its province. In 1908, a government minister named Juan de la Cierva y Peñafiel announced that a new post office would be built.

Finding the Perfect Spot

Finding the right place for the building started in 1910. By 1911, the government decided on a plot of land. This land was between Oliva Street and García Camba Street. It was suggested by the Marquis of Riestra. The land was an unusual six-sided shape and covered about 800 square meters.

Building Begins

In 1912, the City Council of Pontevedra bought the land from the Marquis of Riestra for 115,000 pesetas. They then gave the land to the government. In 1913, a competition was held to choose the best design for the building. The winning design came from an architect named Carlos Gato Soldevilla. His design was in the Art Nouveau style, which was popular at the time.

Construction of the building started in 1915. The job was given to a builder named Cándido Casalderrey. The cost was 348,967 pesetas.

Delays and Completion

The building work took many years. It stopped several times because the government didn't always pay on time. By 1923, construction had completely stalled. In 1926, more money (200,000 pesetas) was finally set aside to finish the project.

The Post and Telecommunications Palace of Pontevedra officially opened in 1929. That same year, the famous lion statues were placed on the south side of the building. These lions act as mailboxes for letters going to other countries and within Spain. In May 1930, the building was fully furnished and ready for use.

Modern Renovation

Because the building is so important historically, it was decided to renovate it in the early 2000s. In 2001, architect Enrique Solana de Quesada was hired to plan the updates. After its renovation, the post office reopened to the public on July 21, 2003.

What the Building Looks Like

The Pontevedra Post Office is built in the Art Nouveau style. This style was very popular in the early 1900s. The architect, Carlos Gato Soldevilla, wanted the building to look like those found in northern Europe. He especially wanted it to have a Flemish Renaissance feel, but with the local Galician touch of being made from stone.

Inside the Building

Like many Spanish Post office buildings, this one is designed around a central open area. This area is above the main public hall. There's also a smaller courtyard. All the offices are arranged around these courtyards. The top of the three floors is an attic level.

The building is made of granite. It has a half basement, a ground floor, two upper floors, and an attic. The windows on the first floor have flat tops called Lintels. The windows on the top floor have arched tops. On the ground floor, there's a large decorative band called a frieze at the ceiling level.

Main Entrance and Details

The main entrance is at a corner, cut diagonally into the building. It has arches supported by classic columns. Stone stairs lead up to the entrance hall. The building is decorated with cool geometric stone shapes, especially on the attic level. Each floor also has geometric windows. Above the main entrance, you can see the stone coat of arms (symbol) of the city of Pontevedra.

The Famous Lions

On the south side of the building, there are two bronze lions. These are the only original ones like them in Galicia! Their mouths are actually mailboxes. One is for mail going to other countries, and the other is for mail staying in Spain. They represent the building's strength and the safety of the mail.

Beautiful Interior

The inside of the building is bright and uses materials like glass, wood, and plaster. A truly amazing feature is the huge, colorful glass ceiling. The main part of this ceiling shows the coat of arms of Pontevedra. It includes the city's bridge, a calvary (a type of cross), an old castle, and a tower.

This beautiful Stained glass window is on the ceiling of the large room where people do their postal business. It uses a special technique called grisaille. The city's coat of arms on the glass is 4 meters tall and 2.52 meters wide. It's surrounded by a border with 20 rosaces (rose-shaped designs). The stained glass was fixed up in 2003 and looks amazing thanks to a company from A Coruña. The grisaille technique removes pigment to create the image, making the light play in unique ways.

The central hall also features Oil paintings, fake bronze decorations, gilding (gold-like finishes), Mosaics, Ceramics, and other artistic stained glass elements.

Interestingly, the architect of this post office, Carlos Gato Soldevilla, also designed the central post office in Burgos in 1916.