ARCHIVED - Orihuela noble farmhouse added to Red List of endangered historic buildings

The seven buildings on the Red List make Orihuela the most represented municipality in Alicante

The reputation of Orihuela for its historic architectural heritage has been still further enhanced this week by the addition of a seventh building in the municipality to the “Red List of Heritage” drawn up by Asociación Hispania Nostra, a list which is designed to draw attention to neglected buildings and other sites of historical importance.

The building concerned is the only noble “alquería” (or stately farmhouse) in the municipality, dating from the Late Middle Ages century and located in Rincón de Bonanza, to the west of the city on the road to Murcia. It is currently in ruins and a state of neglect due to no protection or restoration having been provided by the local, regional and national authorities, and many of the typical Moorish-style roof tiles have been lost.

The addition of the Casa Bonanza to the Red List, which contains almost 800 items, cements Orihuela’s place as the most recognized municipality of Alicante in this respect, joining better-known monuments such as the Castle, the Palacio de Rubalcava, the church of San Agustín, the mining complex of San Antón, the church of Santas Justa y Rufina and the Molino de la Ciudad, and the hope is that this building too can be saved from further deterioration and neglect.

Perhaps the most recognizable element of the façade of the building is an advertising plaque for “Nitrato de Chile” fertilizer, but the history of the Casa Bonanza goes back far further. Some studies place its origins in the late 15th century, with one study concluding that it already existed during an outbreak of plague in 1559, while others believe it was built in the 17^th century.

The 1559 claims are based on a document held in Orihuela’s Municipal Archive which describes a “White House” used to house those who were fortunate enough to be recovering from the plague.

Images: Asociación Hispania Nostra