Casa Rosa: A Romantic Jewel
by Fiona Flores-Watson
c (built subsequently for the Exposicion Ibero-Americano 1929).
The Dukes built Casa Rosa for their tailor, Juan Cruz, in 1880; it was extended in 1894 by the Marchioness of Angulo, who named it Villa Eugenia, and again in 1927, as part of the urban reorganisation for the 1929 Expo. In the 1990s the Junta de Andalucia carried out a refurbishment, and a decade later Casa Rosa stood in as the temporary offices of the Junta President while Palacio San Telmo was restored.
Villa Eugenia/Casa Rosa brought a new style of architecture to Seville, with its rectangular shape, mansard roof, look-out tower and Art Nouveau entrance canopy. These late 19th and early 20th-century features blend with the mudejar-style azulejos (ceramic tiles) for which Seville is famous, made just across the river in Triana.
Situated at the far end of the original San Telmo gardens, beyond Plaza de Americas between Avenida de las Palmeras and Avenida Manuel Siurot, now-named Casa Rosa has been described as a "joya romantica", a romantic jewel.
In the gardens, which are shaded by scores of tall palm trees, you can see 100 botanical species from five continents, across a 7000m2 area. The visit will follow a set route, taking in the house's patio, pond, aviaries, and old stables and zoo.
Casa Rosa and its gardens is open for guided visits on Wednesdays at 17.00. Guided visits last one and a half hours. To book a visit, fill in the form here. There is no entrance fee.
A PDF brochure of the gardens can be downloaded here,
