Casa del Reloj, San Pedro del Pinatar

A 19th-century Modernist mansion which became one of the most prestigious restaurants in the Costa Cálida

Casa del Reloj, San Pedro del Pinatar The Casa del Reloj is one of the best known buildings in San Pedro del Pinatar, and dates from a time when the town was undergoing significant changes.

Prior to the arrival of wealthy town dwellers, San Pedro had been the modest home of fishermen, Casa del Reloj, San Pedro del Pinatar farmers and those working in the salt pans, living in simple labourers' cottages in small hamlets throughout what is now the municipality.

At the end of the 19th century, however, San Pedro del Pinatar began to acquire a reputation as being THE place for the wealthy and elite ofthe city of Murcia to spend the hot summer months, due in no small part to the presence of Pedro Pagán y Ayuso, Mayor of Murcia in 1874, and his wife Leonor Guerra, the darling of Murcia’s intelligentsia.

Famous for her literary salons, she gathered the élite of Murcia around her, including Cánovas del Castillo (President of Spain 1875-76), the Baron of Benifayó and Emilio Castelar (president 1873-74).
Following her lead, other wealthy families began to build summer residences in San Pedro del Pinatar, including the Barón de Benifayó, who commissioned a home which became known as the Casa de Rusa, today home to the Municipal Museum.

Another of these houses is the Casa del Reloj, built for the wealthy Servet family by Torre Pacheco architect Pedro Cerdán, who was also responsible for the Casa del Piñon in La Unión, the Verónicas marketplace in Murcia, the public market in Alhama de Murcia and many other buildings across the Region.

The Casa del Reloj is built in the eclectic Modernist style which typified buildings of the time, and was Casa del Reloj, San Pedro del Pinatar officially named the Villa de San Sebastian, although it became known as La Casa del Reloj due to the clock face situated on its exterior. Internally the building retains many of the original elements, which could be seen by visitors for many years as the building became a prestigious restaurant until it closed during the pandemic in June 2020.

Sadly, one of its greatest claims to fame is the fact that D. Emilio Castelar, former President of the First Spanish Republic, died in the house in 1899. He was a good friend of the Servet family, and knowing that he was suffering from a severe heart condition came to San Pedro del Pinatar to enjoy the fresh air and healthy bathing. However, eight days after arriving, he suffered a heart attack and died, an event which is commemorated by a plaque in the house today.