PALACIO FERRER

The two-storey mansion which is one of the good examples of Catalan modernism, was designed by the famous local architect Pablo Donato Carbonell for José Ferrer Sires, a wealthy Catalan living in Cienfuegos. The ecclectic Palacio de Valle and the majestic Tomás Acea Cemetery are among the works of Pablo Donato Carbonell. The building was finished after one year of construction period in 1918.

The first floor was intended for the storage of goods. Accordingly, the ceiling height is more than six meters and and there is not much ornamentation on the floor. Contrary to the first floor, the second floor has a subtle taste, obvious at high quality ironwork, marble, and glazed ceramic. It is possible to see the entire bay and the city that surrounds it, from the dome shaped construction on the southwest part of the roof of the elegant mansion.

However, shortly after the house was finished, the Ferrers moved to Havana and the house remained empty for a long time until the wealthy businessman Esteban Cacicedo Torriente bought it. The family Cacicedo lived in the house until 1970s. At that time, there was a drugstore on the first floor.

After the revolution, the first floor began to be used as a storage place for medical supplies and the House of Culture took up the second floor. With the house starting to deteriorate, the House of Culture moved from the building and a through restoration began in the building.

It is strictly recommended to climb up the winding staircase into the Ferrer’s tower (a cupola that’s lavishly outfitted with a blue-tiled mosaic) for a striking view of Parque José Martí.

Currently Casa de la Cultura Benjamín Duarte (Benjamín Duarte Cultural Center) is located within the Ferrer Palace. Benjamín Duarte Jiménez (1900-1974 ) is a local painter. He had several solo and group exhibitions in Cuba and outside of the island.

The mosaic work on the floor and walls is gorgeous. The furniture in the building is beautiful.