Casa Mantilla, Art Nouveau house in Valladolid, Spain.
Casa Mantilla is a building with ornate stucco work and large arches framing commercial spaces on the ground floor, while apartments occupy four upper stories. The structure features seven separate entrances with individual staircases, with each floor containing two units that receive generous natural light through large windows.
Built in 1891 by architect Julio Saracíbar on the site of a former hospital mentioned in Cervantes' writings, the structure marked Valladolid's shift toward a modern city. This location represented the transformation of older civic institutions into contemporary residential housing for the city's growing population.
The building reflects the taste of the rising middle class in late 19th-century Valladolid, who shaped the city with French-inspired design. These homes show how wealthy families expressed their new economic status through modern living spaces decorated with ornate details.
The building is easy to reach on foot and accessible from several central streets, with multiple entrances offering different approach routes. Visitors should take time to view the facade from various angles and observe the details of the ground-floor arches from different vantage points.
In 1892, the first hydraulic elevator in Valladolid was installed here, and the original water tanks remain in place today. This apparatus demonstrates how early the city adopted new technology for residents' comfort.
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