Title: Diapositiva 1
1History of the Caves
2- The management of the Glicinia is very proud to
introduce to you, if you are not already aware,
of all the benefits of living in a casa cueva,
a house cave. At the same time, we invite you,
the traveler, through chosing this type of
accomodation, to take the opportunity to reflect
on what it meant and what it means to be a
trogoldite, a cave-dweller.
3- When speaking of the benefits of this style of
living, one will be hard-pressed to find anything
but. We have preserved this form of living
quarters as above all a tribute to those who
previously inhabited this region. These poeple,
who due to lack of sufficient economic means,
lived difficult lives and were therefore forced
to bore into the side of the mountain in search
of refuge from the elements. These were the same
tactics employed by the homoerectus or stoneage
man, more than a million years ago. This latter,
however, was the more clever of the two, having
chosen to make him home in already existing
caves, thus eliminatin the great task of doing it
himself.
4- You should be aware of the fact that these caves,
like the ones that still remain in Granada, were
hollowed out by axe and pick methods in a time in
which sophisticated machinery and tools were
absolutely non-existent. These people, as we have
said, were simple folk without any means
whatsoever to construct for themselves what was
said to be at the time a house worth living in
that is, one that serves its basic purpose of
providing shelter, but also is a home about which
one could feel a certain amount of pride. The
creation was the fruit of extremely strenuous
labor, having to carve out the side of the
mountain and then make trip after painstaking
trip to dispose of the unnecessary debris.
5- Without a doubt, from our perspective, these
people were very intelligent, simply because they
took full advantage of their common sense, which
according to the age-old Spanish adage is the
less common of the senses. Those who opted to
live in this manner were often times regarded as
persons of questionable social status and were
assumed to do so out of raw economic necessity.
This falsehood continued until the 1900s and has
just now begun to fade. The interest in
cave-dwelling, however, has been reborn in the
Granadinan towns of Guadix, Purullena, Gorafe,
and Galera, where agricultural and domestic
artifacts dating back to the time of Roman
civilization have been unearthed.
6- The floor-plan of the house caves includes a
large foyer or sitting room from which the other
rooms branch off. These rooms can serve many
potential purposes, such as a kitchen, mudroom,
or above all, a bedroom. The ambiance is such
that one will be easily lulled by Morpheo, the
god of sleep, into a tranquil state of complete
relaxation and rest.
7- Due to ists microclimate, the caves offer a
constant year-round temperature of approximately
23 degrees celsius in the summer to 17 degrees in
the winter months. These reading can be verified
by the traveler with the use of the thermometer
found in the entryway.
8- There are two large benefits of chosing this form
of accomodation that should not be overlooked.
The first of which is being able to save a
significant amount of money on heating or
air-conditioning bills, courtesy of the natural
appearance of such features. Just as important,
is also the simple pleasure of being able to
enjoy such a non-conventional housing, as there
are hotels to be found in all parts of the world,
but very few house-caves. One could also
foresee in the near future when being in
accordance with Mother Nature will be of the
utmost importance.
9- In more recent times, the great arch found at the
entryway was constructed in the first decade of
the twentieth century. This approximate date is
known to be accurate due to the fact that the
granfather of an elderly town citizen was the one
to actually build it. The management of the
Glicinia finally finished the caves complete
renovation. - Not to be overlooked is the unfortunate
circumstance that in the city of Granada, with
the exception of the now traditional neighborhood
of Sacromonte, only a marginal percentage of
these caves have survived. This is the result of
the shortsightedness or pure neglect by public
enterprises. A private interest has recently been
taken, however, in caves such as the Glicinia.
10- Te name glicinia is derived from a plant that
graces this world as a creeping vine, whose
blossoms adorn the Carmenes Granadinas. These
are houses of Arabic inspiration that, due to a
high wall, are completely isolted from the
outside world, creating an inner one in which the
gardens and water pools unite to create colors,
shades, and corners of tranquility. The blossoms
of the glicinia, though having a relatively short
life-span, while in seasons offer a spectacle of
sensation. Their appearance annouces to us the
explosion of springtime, with its signature
increased hours of daylight and sunsets full of
color. From its birth, the beauty of the glicinia
entwines with objects already present, giving a
fresh, pleasant feel to the house.
11- In closing, the management of the Glicinia has
attempted to recapture the world of senses left
by our Arabic ancestors, who were the only ones
to participate in the creation and later
recreation of this intimate world in which la
glicinia, becomesone with the landscape, the
water, and the silence.
12Entrance to la Glicinia
13Swimming pool and Garden zone
14Swimming pool La Glicinia
15Entrance to La Glicinia
16Living-room La Glicinia
17Chimney La Glicinia
18Kitchen La Glicinia
19Gate to the Bathroom La Glicinia
20BathroomLa Glicinia
21Gate to the bedroomsLa Glicinia
22Dressing room La Glicinia
23Bedroom La Glicinia
24Bedroom La Glicinia
25ExitLa Glicinia
26Upstairs to the Apartment
27Entrance to the Dormer window
28Place to reading Dormer window
29Kitchen of the Dormer window
30Bedroom of the Dormer window
31Front of Casa del Aire
32Living-room of Casa del Aire
33Kitchen of Casa del Aire
34Bathroom Casa del Aire
35Bathroom Casa del Aire
36Bedroom of Casa del aire
37Bedroom of Casa del Aire
38Entrance to The Apartment
39Living-room of The Apartment
40Bathroom The Apartment
41Bedroom of The Apartment
42Bedroom of The Apartment
43General view from The Terrace of La Glicinia
44General view from The Terrace of La Glicinia
45Panoramic View
46Dusk from La Glicinia
47Flower detailGlicinia
48Balcony
49The Glicinia in Bloom
50The Glicinia in Bloom
51Map of The Zone
52Our Facts
- Address
- Barranco del Abogado (Next to Ermita Virgen de
Lourdes). - 18009 GRANADA ESPAÑA.
- Telephone 958-221720
- Fax 958-210392
- E_mail info_at_laglicinia.com
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