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Palacio del Valle
Palacio del Valle takes its name after the millionaire Acisclo del Valle Blanco who originally came from Asturias in Spain but settled down here in Cienfuegos. It’s quite clearly one of the most astonishing buildings in Cuba.
The external appearance is topped with three towers, one of a gothic-Romanesque style that symbolises strength. The second one recalls the Taj Mahal that represents love and the third is reminiscent of a minaret reflecting a typical Arabic influence that symbolises religion.
The Italian architect Alfredo Colli – also resident for many years here – was charged with its construction and brought in Arabic, French, Italian and Cuban artisans to furnish and decorate it.
Preceding the entrance with an obvious touch of Egyptian mythology, the ground floor contains a vestibule characterised with early gothic elements. A room into the left now part of a restaurant displays an architectural style known as mudéjar and perhaps originated from Andalusia in Spain.
The initials of the owner AVB also appear throughout the building in various artistic monograms having been cut into the granite and marble.
A second room here called Luis XVI was used for music and games while another displays skilled workmanship in gold and reflecting colonial elements.
To go upstairs visitors pass a sumptuous staircase made from marble while at the top would have been eight bedrooms with two extra rooms used for offices.
At a final cost of 1.5 million pesos, equivalent today to more than half a million dollars, this beautiful mansion boasting an eclectic style was completed in 1917.
Other features include several of the internal and external columns reminiscent of the Mosque in Cordoba in Spain.
Unfortunately for Blanco, shortly after construction of his pride and joy he was one of the victims of the 1921 bank crisis. This mansion was then closed for 40 years until after the success of the Revolution it was then re-opened under the auspices of the Cienfuegoes Visual Arts School. Presently though, it’s a restaurant catering to expensive tastes.
References
Juan de las Cuevas Toraya, 500 Años De Construcciones En Cuba, Havana 2001, pp186-187.
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