 |
|
 |
The choice of the new seat was not fortuitous. It is located in the San Mateo quarter, the heart of the ancient Hispanic-Moorish "medina" and one of the most historically interesting places in Jerez. The main façade looks towards the Plaza del Mercado (Market square), so called because the old town market was located in its perimeter, as it appears in the "Libro del Repartimiento" in 1266. According to Agustín Muñoz, its name during the Moorish period must have been "zarzain" on account of a store or market of silk cloths located where now stands the Riquelme Palace, a sixteenth century architectonic jewel. This square witnessed historical events of great significance for the town. On the occasion of the Catholic Monarchs´ visit to Jerez in 1477, running of bulls and "cañas" and "alcancías" games -predecesssor of the present "rejoneo (bullfighting on horseback)"- were held in this place. In 1884 eight persons accused of belonging to the "Mano Negra" (black hand) -a peasant organization alleged to be concerned in several murders- were executed here. The present facilities of the Archaeological Museum are located in a set of buildings that together with its courtyards shape a two thousand square meters architectonic complex. The oldest record concerning the main building is a title deed granted in 1824 by Pedro López de Carrizosa y Riquelme in favour of Juan Sánchez, a wealthy land-owner from Santander who made a vast fortune on the production and trade of wine in Jerez. Its soberness of lines and structure characteristic of the early 19th century architecture, fits the "casa-patio" type, inheritance, though at a much lower level, of the 18th century "casas palaciegas" (palaces). It is square-shaped and has a central courtyard with galleries on three of its sides, and perimeter bays of rooms. The courtyard is delimited by arcades on top of Tuscan marble columns, some of which show on their capitals the coats of arms presumably of the first master of the house. Juan Sánchez died heirless in 1838. He left instructions on his will in order that a School of Humanities would be founded in this house maintained with part of his inheritance. This School, named "St. John the Baptist" in honour of its "maecenas", was opened that same year 1838. Almost inmediately it became first a Local Secondary School and later, in 1851, a Provincial Secondary School, the second one in Andalucía and the ninth one in Spain. It was the origin of the present "Padre Luis Coloma Secondary School". As the number of students increased the main building underwent several enlargements. In the middle 19th century the adjacent houses and lots were added and the whole set of buildings was definitively designed as it looks today. Despite the improvements carried out in the building for a period of over fifty years, the lack of room for all the students enrolled as well as a number of lawsuits between the authorities and the patrons of the Juan Sánchez Foundation forced its moving in 1884. Nevertheless this institution never lost its educational and cultural character and in 1890 the "Santo Domingo School" best known as "Julián Cuadra School" -in honour of this prominent educator- was built on the corner of Liebre street and facing the Plaza del Mercado. It is a one-bay construction with four-slope cover, which, considering its design and date of building, can be attributed to José Esteve y López, municipal architect at that time. It continued being a teaching centre until the middle 1960´s when it was abandoned. It was ruinous when the works of restoration and conditioning for the seat of the new Museum started. These works have undergone two stages, following the directions of the experts in the Town Planning Department of the City Council, José Manuel Muñoz Alcántara and Luis del Rosal. The first stage focused on the consolidation and restoration of the main house and the second stage dealt with the restoration of the former "Santo Domingo School" and the replacement of the attached houses by a completely new L-shaped building facing Liebre street and forming and inner courtyard. When all the problems concerning the restoration and conditioning of the old buildings were solved, the works of adaptation, furnishing, providing special equipment and fitting up of the exhibition rooms started inmediately. The authors of the entire museographical project were the present scientific staff of the Museum in close colaboration with designer José Alfonso Reimóndez and the Graphics Department of the Jerez City Council.
THE BUILDING AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
 |
[Home][E-mail][Links]