Palacio de Valle, Historic house in Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Palacio de Valle is a historic house in Punta Gorda, Cienfuegos, featuring Moorish architectural elements with ornate tiles, mosaics, detailed carvings, and fine woodwork made from imported materials. Today it functions as a restaurant and terrace bar where visitors can dine while overlooking Cienfuegos Bay.
The building was constructed between 1913 and 1917 by Italian architect Alfredo Colli for Cuban merchant Celestino Caces and later acquired by Acisclo del Valle Blanco. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, it shifted from its planned role as a casino into a public dining space.
The villa's name comes from Acisclo del Valle Blanco, the Asturian landowner who bought the unfinished building from merchant Celestino Caces and had it completed. Since then it has served as an upscale hotel and restaurant, and in 2000 it was declared a National Monument.
The palace is located at Calle 37 between Avenue 0 and Avenue 2 and is easy to reach on foot from downtown. Most visitors find it helpful to come during daytime to see the interior details in natural light before returning later in the evening to dine and enjoy the views.
The villa's first client was the merchant Celestino Caces, who sold it before completion to the Asturian landowner Acisclo del Valle Blanco; the building is named for the buyer, not the man who commissioned it. In 2000 it was declared a National Monument.
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