In this post about the balconies of Cadiz we are going to propose you a challenge, to look up. When we stroll through the narrow streets of Andalusia our gaze tends to remain on what is close to us, but to really soak up the art of Cadiz we have to look upwards.
The streets of Cadiz are dotted with beautiful balconies of all artistic styles from the 17th to the 20th century. We are going to try to make a stylistic tour through the balconies of Cadiz, but you won’t find a great list. We’ll leave that for when you visit Cádiz and discover them for yourselves.
What you will find here
WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL BALCONIES IN CADIZ?
THE TRADE
Cadiz is a port city located in a strategic position on the trade routes that connect the Mediterranean with the rest of the European ports. But in addition, from the 16th century, its connection with America will notably increase maritime traffic. During the 17th century, and despite the fact that the official institutions such as the ‘Casa de Contratación’ and the Consulate were located in Seville, Cadiz continued to concentrate a large part of the commercial activity with the American continent.
Finally, in the 18th century, Cadiz obtained a monopoly on trade with America. The city of Cadiz grew due to strong national and foreign immigration and during the 18th century it doubled in size. Many of these immigrants were merchants, usually new bourgeoisie who came in search of profit. This new social class needed houses in whose façades the style of the balconies fulfilled a representative function.
The balconies of Cadiz in the Plaza de San Antonio.
THE ENLIGHTENMENT
The 18th century also brought new cultural developments. A new current of thought called the ‘Enlightenment’ spread throughout Europe. Cadiz being one of the main cities in Spain at the time, it is not surprising that it did not take long for it to arrive. This enlightened and rationalist concept of the world is especially linked to the booming merchant bourgeoisie.
Cadiz was to be a culturally avant-garde city. A cosmopolitan atmosphere gradually developed in Cadiz as a result of maritime traffic from overseas, foreign immigration and enlightened ideas. Gatherings, gardens of exotic species, clothing, speech, theatres, architecture and, of course, the balconies of Cadiz are a good example of this.
During the 19th century, the city enjoyed a major economic boom. This was the time of historicism, the revival of the key artistic styles of the past. The mixture of styles resulted in eclecticism and regionalism. Most of the balconies of Cadiz that you will find are from this period.
THE CONCENTRATION OF BALCONIES IN CADIZ
Probably larger cities such as Malaga y Seville probably have a greater number of charming balconies. However, the concentration in the historic quarter of Cadiz is particularly noticeable. Unlike other towns where the humbler old buildings gave way to buildings of dubious aesthetics in the second half of the 20th century, in the centre of Cadiz most of the old buildings have been very well preserved.
Building in Calle San José with anthropomorphic corbels.
GOOD WEATHER
Whenever we talk about Cadiz we always say it, but it’s true. The storms from the Atlantic Ocean come in here, but as they come in they go out. Cadiz has a pleasant climate with slight temperature contrasts between day and night and the different seasons. In Cádiz people live a lot in the street and the houses tend to open up to the outside with large balconies.
During festivities, such as Easter or Carnival, balconies become exclusive places to enjoy the festivities.
Many balconies in Cadiz were initially conceived as enclosed, with a metal or wood and glass structure. Others were closed during the renovation of the old dwellings. These enclosures were and have been known, at least since the 19th century, as ‘cierros’. They are sometimes used to add decorative elements that add distinction to the building. The ‘cierros’ allow the inhabitants of the house to enjoy the sun on windy days, which are not infrequent in Cadiz.
The balconies of Cadiz in Calle Ancha.
THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ BAROQUE STYLE
ARAMBURU’S BALCONY
This is a Baroque-style palace built in the 18th century. The stone façade and, of course, a spectacular central balcony overlooking the Plaza de San Antonio still remain from that time. The current appearance of the façade corresponds to the eclectic reforms carried out by Juan Aramburu y Echezarreta in the mid-20th century. Eclecticism is a style which, as its name suggests, copies elements from other styles, reinterpreting them without any defined rules.
House of the Aranburu bank in Plaza de San Antonio.
BALCONY LA CASA DE LAS CADENAS
The main balcony of the Casa de las Cadenas is located over a spectacular entrance flanked by two Solomonic columns. This house belonged to Don Diego de Barrios de la Rosa, a merchant and ‘’cargador a Indias‘’ (shipper to the Indies) whose family came from Portugal. The building has a special history, as it served as a shelter for an image of the ‘Santísimo Sacramento’ (Eucharistic adoration) that was caught in a storm during its procession. After the event, Charles II granted privileges to Don Diego, including the placing of two columns with a chain, a border on the coat of arms, an inscription alluding to the event, etc. The merchant then decided to demolish the house and build a new one with the imposing Baroque marble façade, carved in Genoa and brought to Cadiz.
Balcony of the Casa de las Cadenas (Juanje 2712, Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0 ).
BALCONY LA CASA DEL ALMIRANTE
The Casa del Almirante is perhaps one of the most emblematic houses in the old quarter of Cádiz. It is in a lamentable state of conservation. It was built by Don Diego de Barrios Soto, uncle of the previous Don Diego and also dedicated to overseas business.
The balcony of the admiral’s house is defined by the split pediment and entablature, Solomonic columns and a play of colours. Unlike other balconies where only white marble is used, here it is combined with reddish and black marble. Inside, reddish jasper is also used for the columns in the courtyard and the steps of the staircase. Although you can find on the internet that it is the work of Genoese artists, research by Juan Alonso de la Sierra Fernández confirms that the author was from Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and that the materials are of andalusian origin.
Casa del Almirante (Admiral’s House) in the Pópulo district.
THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ IN NEOCLASSICAL STYLE
They are not the most abundant, nor are they governed by a pure neoclassical style, but the balconies of Cadiz that recover classicism are some of the most interesting. The most outstanding neoclassical buildings in the city are the façade of the Town Hall, the Antigua Cárcel Real, the Church of San José and the Antiguo Hospicio de Cadiz. In any of these buildings you will find balconies that are both elegant and proportionate. But let’s take a look at some more examples.
BALCONY OF LUIS GARGOLLO’S HOUSE
The façade of this building is developed with the sobriety and elegance of the neoclassical style. It has a large main balcony resting on four human-shaped corbels. Note the satirical and demonic expressions of the figures. The figures are touched by birds of prey, and bunches of fruit sprout from their mouths. Their burlesque appearance earned them the right to be the image of the poster for the Carnival of Cadiz in 1998. The building was designed in 1801 by the architect José Gabarrón and built as a home for Luis Gargollo y Munar. It later became the former headquarters of the Bank of Spain in Cadiz and is currently the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce. It is also very close to the Museum of Cadiz.
Luis Gorgollo’s house in Antonio López de Cádiz street.
BALCONIES OF THE CASA DE LAS CINCO TORRES (HOUSE OF THE FIVE TOWERS)
The balconies of Cadiz are a must on our tour of the Plaza de España. Here we will find many interesting buildings, but the one known as ‘Casa de las Cinco Torres’ (House of the Five Towers) stands out. There are actually five buildings built at the same time at the end of the 18th century (1771) by two merchants from Conil.
Salvo por las portadas y los remates de la cornisa, el edificio destila sobriedad y proporción.
Estilísticamente se sitúan entre el barroco y el neoclásico.
As for the towers, you will have seen that they are frequently mentioned in this article. This type of lookout towers or sentry boxes on the terraces of the houses is related to the activity of the merchants and their need to see the sea. We will keep this subject for a full article a little later on.
Casa de las Cinco Torres, with its balconies and towers.
BALCONIES OF THE CASA DE LAS CUATRO TORRES (HOUSE OF THE FOUR TOWERS)
The adjoining house, separated from the previous one by a street, is the ‘Casa de las Cuatro Torres’ (House of the Four Towers). Like the previous one, it is a group of four houses that occupy an entire block. Although we are going to classify it as neoclassical, this house combines a mixture of American-influenced styles with late Baroque elements. It was built, as is customary in this post, by a very famous shipper to the Indies in 1745. Juan Clat Secanichi was of Syrian origin and is remembered in Cadiz for his great generosity to the city, as on his death he donated part of his fortune to the Cabildo.
As for the balconies, which is what concerns us in this article, they are accompanied by mouldings with a certain play of baroque shapes. But above all, these mouldings are painted with lines in almagra. This type of decoration is the most characteristic feature of the building and extends over a large part of the façade.
Casa de las Cuatro Torres next to Plaza de España.
ECLECTIC / HISTORICIST STYLE BALCONIES
In this section we could include all the balconies of Cadiz that freely reinterpret the past, copying and mixing elements from different periods. These buildings were built in the second half of the 19th century.
CASINO DE CADIZ
The elegance of this building is really worth appreciating. It is also in an excellent state of preservation. The Casino de Cadiz is located in the Plaza de San Antonio, one of the centres of life in the old quarter of Cadiz. In fact, in the same square there are other buildings such as the house of the Aramburu family, which we have already mentioned a little earlier.
The main feature of the façade are the three intermediate balconies framed by large pilasters in the classical style. The balconies are supported by imposing corbels and framed by a border of baroque elements. The interior of the building has nothing to do with the exterior, as you will find a very surprising neo-Mudejar style.
The Casino of Cádiz embodies eclecticism well, as it anachronistically unites three different styles: classical, baroque and “mudejar”.
Casino of Cadiz in Plaza de San Antonio. © Tourism of Cadiz.
NUMBER 11, PLAZA MINA
We arrived at the Plaza de Mina, one of our favourite squares in Cadiz. It is a very authentic place, with large ficus trees, the Museum of Cadiz (Archaeology and Fine Arts) and an extensive catalogue of beautiful balconies in Cadiz.
In the case of the house with the number 11, we find a unique house in “estilo isabelino” (Elizabethan style). On its façade there is a beautiful balcony with two columns supporting the balcony on the upper floor. This type of balcony is known as a balcony-tribuna.
BALCONES EMBARAZADOS (PREGNANT BALCONIES)
If you look carefully on your walk you will notice that many of the balconies have grilles that bulge outwards. This distinctive Cadiz feature can be found in buildings of eclecticism/historicist or regionalist style, as they were designed during the 19th century. This peculiarity combined with Cadiz genius has given them the name of ‘pregnant balconies’ or ‘pigeon-breasted balconies’. You will also find this type of balcony in the bourgeois palaces of Huelva. The convex shape is related to the skirts that wealthy women wore on their balconies on festive days. These pompous skirts were called ‘miriñaques’ and were supported by a series of metal hoops.
BALCÓN PALACIO DE LOS MORA (BALCONY OF THE MORA PALACE )
There is a multitude of curved balconies on Calle Ancha. However, there is one in particular that stands out, the Mora palace, whose main balcony in the pregnant style is supported by four atlantes in the role of corbels. Other elements accompanying the large continuous balcony are a series of Ionic-style columns. Balconies with wooden and glass enclosures or ‘cierros’ can also be seen. This building was inaugurated at an event attended by Queen Elizabeth II in 1862.
Casa Palacio Mora with the typical pregnant balconies of Cadiz.
BALCONY OF THE SAGASTA HOUSE
The Sagasta Palace is one of the best examples of pregnant balconies in Cadiz. It is located on the route from Plaza San Francisco to Plaza de Mina, a very busy street in the city. It was built in the 18th century, but the current appearance of its façade corresponds to the 19th century reforms in an Elizabethan style. If you look at the ground floor, the stone is exposed. This type of stone is called ‘ostionera’ and a large part of the old buildings in Cadiz are built with it. If you look closely you will find small shells of molluscs, the famous ‘ostiones de Cadiz’ (oysters of Cadiz). In some places along the coast of Cadiz you can still find oyster stone quarries at low tide: Puerto Real, San Fernando, Chiclana, Rota and Chipiona among others.
It has the layout and elements of a typical house of the shippers to the Indies, as it was originally so. However, for a time it was in the hands of the British ambassador Sir Richard Wellesley, brother of the Duke of Wellington, who stayed here during his stays in Cadiz.
Pregnant balconies of Cadiz in the Sagasta House
THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ ART NOUVEAU
It was not until the 20th century that modernism burst onto the scene in Spain. Its daring and groundbreaking decoration with natural and even exotic elements was not well seen by everyone at first. In Cádiz it is not very abundant, it can be found in door grilles and balconies in an isolated way, but there is a particularly interesting house.
MAYOL HOUSE
An excellent example of modernism can be found in the balconies of the Mayol House . The house was designed for Manuel Mayol Rubio, a draftsman and painter from Jerez de la Frontera with exceptional artistic interests. The combination of colours through the tiles on the façade is truly interesting. And on both the balconies and the windows you can see how modernism develops its usual organic movement by twisting the lintels. The grilles are undoubtedly one of the most unique elements of the house and where the Art Nouveau style can be seen most clearly.
Mayol House, the best example of Art Nouveau in Cadiz (© Turismo de Cadiz).
FLAMENCO ON THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ
The balconies of Cadiz are a showcase for the art of architecture and decorative arts, but they are also a place for another type of artistic expression that is very much a local art form: Flamenco. During several days in August ‘El Flamenco en Patios y Balcones’ (Flamenco in Courtyards and Balconies) is usually celebrated. If you happen to be in Cadiz during that month, check the updated information, as you might find someone singing or dancing on the balconies of Cadiz.
Flamenco on the balconies of Cadiz
THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ IN THE CALLE ANCHA
Although it is ideal to wander through the streets of Cadiz, if you don’t have time and want to get to the point, it is essential to visit the Plaza de San Antonio and walk along the Calle Ancha. Along this pedestrianised street you will enjoy a charming stroll under spectacular balconies of different artistic styles. Take a look at this image of Calle Ancha as it looked more than 100 years ago.
Past and Present of the Calle Ancha in Cádiz (Hauser y Menet, 1905 / Andalucia 360, 2024)
MAP OF THE BALCONIES OF CADIZ
In this map of The balconies of Cadiz you will find the balconies of the houses we have talked about. But we have also added some of the streets and squares with the highest number of balconies. Of course there are many more. If you want us to add a specific balcony or street to this map, just put it in the comments.
In future articles we will have to talk about the important lookout towers of Cadiz, the luminous courtyards or the impressive ‘casa-puertas’ of the buildings, and perhaps one dedicated to the small churches of “ostionera stone”, but all that for later.
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