Casa de Don Bernardo
The House of Don Bernardo is a ruined estate in the Havana neighbourhood of Churriana de la Vega. It consists of a large, two-storey house with a façade facing Havana Square. A large section of the building facing Calle Toril collapsed several years ago. Another section, parallel to it, extends from the centre of the house and frames two spacious courtyards.
To the south, the remaining area was an immense orchard which may once have extended as far as the Arabuleila irrigation ditch opposite the Arab Baths. Inscriptions and engravings preserved on the façade indicate that the house was built in the early eighteenth century. Its size and layout suggest it may initially have been built for agricultural purposes, before serving different uses under successive owners.
During the French occupation of the War of Independence, French troops and their cavalry occupied the house, as they did the Cuartelillo and other estates in the town. According to local tradition, a farmer from Granada named Don Bernardo later acquired the property, and it eventually took his name.
Over time, the house changed owners and uses, and was divided into several parts. During the Spanish Civil War, some parts served as a pig slaughterhouse and ham-curing facility. Another section was used as a scrap metal depot, supplying a foundry that manufactured weapons. After the war, some rooms became a meeting point for veterans and later provided temporary housing for local residents. Several years ago, the Gamarra family, the current owners, used the building as a soap factory and warehouse.
The building is now completely ruined, and its rooms and outbuildings are unoccupied. It appears to be nearing the end of its life. It is located in Plaza Havana.