Serralles Castle
Encyclopedia
Serrallés Castle is a mansion
located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
overlooking the downtown area (Ponce Pueblo). It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés
, founder of Destilería Serrallés. Nowadays, the castle is a museum with information about the sugar cane and rum
industries and its impact in the economy of Puerto Rico
. The structure sits on a 2.5 acres (1 ha) exceedingly manicured property. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
was eventually established elsewhere in the city.
The mansion was emptied in 1956, and while the structure kept in very good shape, the grounds were overgrown by weeds to the point that a total landscaping plan was needed to return the estate to its past glory. In 1980, the property was still owned by Rosa Serrallés Torruella and Felix J. Serrallés Sanchez.
. Its location has the mansion overlooking the city of Ponce
. El Vigia is the name of one of the hills to the north of the city of Ponce that make up the foothills of the Cordillera Central
found further inland. The location of the mansion, together with its magnificent landscape, and many architectural details, have made it unique among other Puerto Rico mansions. Its location atop the El Vigia hill makes it visible from nearly every part of the city of Ponce, "as a constant reminder to all Ponceños of their heritage". The building's location, coupled with its "Y" shape form, allows for an impressive and breath-taking view of the city of Ponce from any one of its eastern, southern, or western elevations.
Architecturally, the building represents an example of Spanish Moroccan architecture, the style first introduced in Puerto Rico by the architect Pedro Adolfo de Castro. Three examples of this style of architecture were: El Castillo de Valdes in Mayagüez, el Castillo de Mario Mercado Montalvo in Guayanilla, and el Castillo de Serrallés. In the 1920s, other similar mansions were built in Puerto Rico, but Castillo Serrallés is the best preserved. Historically, the building is a reminder of the cultural and economic changes that southern Puerto Rico experienced in the 1920s. "Ponce's dependence on the sugar cane industry at the close of the nineteenth century, created an atmosphere of development from which evolved a series of intrinsic cultural characteristics and afforded great wealth to many families involved in the industry. The wealthy families generally chose Europe as the model for the direction that cultural endeavors would take."
According to the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office, "European fashions and lifestyles were usually preferred in this part of the Island...The result of [the] intense cultural interest [of the time] provided work for artists, artisans, and architects whose creations tended to strengthen the image of the ethnic identity...Even though El Castillo Serralles is not based on an indigenous design, its architectural significance lies in the fact that is was designed to adapt well with Caribbean climatic conditions. Its workmanship, its interior decorations, its furniture, and even its floor plan, reflect the cultural attitudes of the times".
Pedro Adolfo de Castro y Besosa.
It includes two huge terraces
, an outside fountain, and a symmetrical backyard garden. Its interior includes a luxurious hall, a spacious dining room, and an interior courtyard
.
The house has four floors. The ground floor houses the garage
and a basement used as service quarters. The second floor contains the library, a central patio, a solarium
, the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. The third floor contains all the sleeping quarters. The fourth floor is the terrace, from where the most impressive and commanding views of the city are possible. Intended as a relaxed entertainment space, the terrace has both covered and uncovered areas. Its flooring is all tiled.
Access to the main entrance to the house from the front street, and leading to the second level of the north elevation, is by way of either of two semi-circular stairways which run from the covered carriage entrance on the ground level of the north elevation. This leads to double French doors which open into a large vestibule
reception area with a ceramic tile floor. The view from this room reveals an open courtyard patio with a fountain. The formal living room is located to the left of the vestibule. The living room is the only room with a parquet floor.
The building was constructed entirely of concrete. The mansion was designed in a style popular in the 1920s for representing Spanish Mediterranean influence. Prominent throughout the building is the use of wooden round arches over the building's large windows and doorways, many of them adorned with small stained glass panes. Some openings are also decorated in ornate iron work. The two towers that accentuate the building's eastern and western sides have red roof tiles. This accent is also present on all other rooftops. The exterior of the buildings is finished in stucco
.
celebrations, and other similar social events.
The Serrallés mansion opened as a public museum in February 1991. Visitors can tour the refurbished home, which has been furnished to appear as it did in the 1930s. There is also a temporary exhibit area for local artists. The Serrallés Castle is now part of a large complex that includes the Cruceta El Vigía
, and a Japanese Garden
. There are plans to also add a butterfly garden. By September 2010, the museum was receiving around 200,000 visitors per year.
budget.
original movie Princess Protection Program
were filmed in the castle.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
overlooking the downtown area (Ponce Pueblo). It was built during the 1920s by Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrallés
Juan Serralles
Juan Serrallés Colón was the founder of Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico and what was to become Destileria Serralles, producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum.-Early years:...
, founder of Destilería Serrallés. Nowadays, the castle is a museum with information about the sugar cane and rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
industries and its impact in the economy of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. The structure sits on a 2.5 acres (1 ha) exceedingly manicured property. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
History
The house was purchased by the city of Ponce from the Serrallés heirs. While the castle was valued at $17-$25 million dollars, it was purchased for a mere $350,000 and included much of the furniture in the sale. The city's initial intent was to turn it into a museum of Puerto Rican music. The Museum of Puerto Rican MusicMuseum of Puerto Rican Music
The Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña is a museum in Ponce, Puerto Rico that showcases the development of Puerto Rican music, with displays of Taíno, Spanish, and African musical instruments that were played in the romantic danza genre, the favorite music of 19th-century Puerto Rican society, as...
was eventually established elsewhere in the city.
The mansion was emptied in 1956, and while the structure kept in very good shape, the grounds were overgrown by weeds to the point that a total landscaping plan was needed to return the estate to its past glory. In 1980, the property was still owned by Rosa Serrallés Torruella and Felix J. Serrallés Sanchez.
Location
The mansion was built on the south side of El Vigia hill, which is the most prominent and nearest hill to the Ponce Historic ZonePonce Historic Zone
The Ponce Historic Zone is a historic district in downtown Ponce, Puerto Rico with construction that dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The zone was originally designated in 1962, and then it only included the center core of the city, but it has since been expanded to...
. Its location has the mansion overlooking the city of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. El Vigia is the name of one of the hills to the north of the city of Ponce that make up the foothills of the Cordillera Central
Cordillera Central
The Cordillera Central, meaning central range in Spanish, is used to refer to several mountain ranges around the world:* Cordillera Central, Andes , several mountain ranges in South America** Cordillera Central, Colombia...
found further inland. The location of the mansion, together with its magnificent landscape, and many architectural details, have made it unique among other Puerto Rico mansions. Its location atop the El Vigia hill makes it visible from nearly every part of the city of Ponce, "as a constant reminder to all Ponceños of their heritage". The building's location, coupled with its "Y" shape form, allows for an impressive and breath-taking view of the city of Ponce from any one of its eastern, southern, or western elevations.
Significance
The Serrallés mansion was built as the exclusive residence of Don Juan Eugenio Serrallés, a leader in the sugar cane industry during the early part of the 20th century. The building is significant from both the architectural and historical perspectives.Architecturally, the building represents an example of Spanish Moroccan architecture, the style first introduced in Puerto Rico by the architect Pedro Adolfo de Castro. Three examples of this style of architecture were: El Castillo de Valdes in Mayagüez, el Castillo de Mario Mercado Montalvo in Guayanilla, and el Castillo de Serrallés. In the 1920s, other similar mansions were built in Puerto Rico, but Castillo Serrallés is the best preserved. Historically, the building is a reminder of the cultural and economic changes that southern Puerto Rico experienced in the 1920s. "Ponce's dependence on the sugar cane industry at the close of the nineteenth century, created an atmosphere of development from which evolved a series of intrinsic cultural characteristics and afforded great wealth to many families involved in the industry. The wealthy families generally chose Europe as the model for the direction that cultural endeavors would take."
According to the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office, "European fashions and lifestyles were usually preferred in this part of the Island...The result of [the] intense cultural interest [of the time] provided work for artists, artisans, and architects whose creations tended to strengthen the image of the ethnic identity...Even though El Castillo Serralles is not based on an indigenous design, its architectural significance lies in the fact that is was designed to adapt well with Caribbean climatic conditions. Its workmanship, its interior decorations, its furniture, and even its floor plan, reflect the cultural attitudes of the times".
Physical characteristics
The castle was built in 1926 by local architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Pedro Adolfo de Castro y Besosa.
It includes two huge terraces
Terrace (building)
A terrace is an outdoor, occupiable extension of a building above ground level. Although its physical characteristics may vary to a great degree, a terrace will generally be larger than a balcony and will have an "open-top" facing the sky...
, an outside fountain, and a symmetrical backyard garden. Its interior includes a luxurious hall, a spacious dining room, and an interior courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
.
The house has four floors. The ground floor houses the garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
and a basement used as service quarters. The second floor contains the library, a central patio, a solarium
Solarium
Solarium may refer to:* Similar to a Sunroom, a room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun. Solariums have glass roofs , unlike sunrooms...
, the living room, dining room, and the kitchen. The third floor contains all the sleeping quarters. The fourth floor is the terrace, from where the most impressive and commanding views of the city are possible. Intended as a relaxed entertainment space, the terrace has both covered and uncovered areas. Its flooring is all tiled.
Access to the main entrance to the house from the front street, and leading to the second level of the north elevation, is by way of either of two semi-circular stairways which run from the covered carriage entrance on the ground level of the north elevation. This leads to double French doors which open into a large vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
reception area with a ceramic tile floor. The view from this room reveals an open courtyard patio with a fountain. The formal living room is located to the left of the vestibule. The living room is the only room with a parquet floor.
The building was constructed entirely of concrete. The mansion was designed in a style popular in the 1920s for representing Spanish Mediterranean influence. Prominent throughout the building is the use of wooden round arches over the building's large windows and doorways, many of them adorned with small stained glass panes. Some openings are also decorated in ornate iron work. The two towers that accentuate the building's eastern and western sides have red roof tiles. This accent is also present on all other rooftops. The exterior of the buildings is finished in stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
.
Museum
When the city turned the estate into a museum, the entire basement was remodeled. The four original water storage tanks located in the basement were removed, as were the workers' quarters and the car garage. The space was used to build several offices, an auditorium, and a restaurant. The city also rejuvenated the surrounding landscape. The backyard now consists of lush green grass, fountains, manicured shrubs, and lights. The first floor also houses an outdoor square that is covered by the roof over the second floor. The city uses this area to showcase the work of local artists and photographers. The area is now used for private weddings, quinceañeraQuinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
celebrations, and other similar social events.
The Serrallés mansion opened as a public museum in February 1991. Visitors can tour the refurbished home, which has been furnished to appear as it did in the 1930s. There is also a temporary exhibit area for local artists. The Serrallés Castle is now part of a large complex that includes the Cruceta El Vigía
Cruceta El Vigía
Cruceta del Vigía is a 100-foot-tall cross located atop Vigia Hill in Ponce, Puerto Rico, directly in front of the Serralles Castle museum. It houses a tourist center at its base, a 10 story vertical tower, and a horizontal sky bridge that has panoramic views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean...
, and a Japanese Garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
. There are plans to also add a butterfly garden. By September 2010, the museum was receiving around 200,000 visitors per year.
Administration
The building is administered and operated by a non-governmental, non-profit, civic organization called Patronato de Ponce. The organization received an endowment from the Ponce Municipal Government of $600,000 a year during the 2008-2009 fiscal year, but due to the world-wide economic downturn the Municipality dropped its endowment to $300,000 per year in 2010. It had also been receiving an undisclosed amount in yearly donations from the private sector, but $75,000 of that was also dropped due to the economy. The museum operates with a $1.2MMillion
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
budget.
In the movies
Scenes from the Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original movie Princess Protection Program
Princess Protection Program
Princess Protection Program is a 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on June 26, 2009 in the United States and winner of the Teen Choice Awards 2009 for Choice Summer TV Show...
were filmed in the castle.
See also
- Juan SerrallésJuan SerrallesJuan Serrallés Colón was the founder of Hacienda Mercedita in Ponce, Puerto Rico and what was to become Destileria Serralles, producers of "Don Q", a world renowned brand of Puerto Rican rum.-Early years:...
- Destilería Serrallés
- Don QDon QDon Q is a Puerto Rican rum, distilled, manufactured, bottled, and distributed by Destilería Serrallés from its corporate facility in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Don Q is the top-selling rum in Puerto Rico, where over 70% of the rum consumed in the United States is produced. The rum is named after Don...
- Ponce, Puerto RicoPonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
- Casa SerrallésCasa SerrallésCasa Serrallés is a historic building in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The building was purchased by the government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce in 2008 for its architectural, historic, and cultural value...
External links
- National Parks Service Images
- Museo Castillo Serrallés Website
- Eyetour: Museo Castillo Serrallés - visitor's information