Casa de las Mariposas

The Casa de las Mariposas, Casa Rapallo or Casa Rapallo-Campos (after its owners) is an emblematic building in the city of Almería (province of Almería, Spain), which dates from the early 20th century and was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. It is located in the heart of Puerta de Purchena, the nerve centre of the capital, which was declared a Historic Site under the Andalusian Historical Heritage Act in 1991.

It was built in 1909 according to plans drawn up by Trinidad Cuartara in 1905 on the site of an old inn, at the junction of Calle Granada and Puerta de Purchena. The municipal architect sought to ornament the city centre with a building that would symbolise the growing economic and political power of Almería's bourgeoisie.

It is worth highlighting the modernist elements, such as the decoration of the railings or the colourful butterflies that decorate the small castle and give the building its name. These butterflies are another demonstration of the architect Cuartara's membership of Freemasonry, who used to include some Masonic detail in his designs. The butterfly in Freemasonry is their symbol of resurrection, immortality and protection.

It is said that on the day the building work was completed in the spring of 1911, the architect of the building purchased an arroba of wine and a glass as a celebration. Those present, the owners of the building, Bernardo Campos and José Rapallo, together with the workers and the architect, all drank and toasted with the same glass. Afterwards, as a souvenir, the glass would remain on top of the dome's turret.

For 99 years, the glass remained in place, having withstood the wind and even the bombardment of the city during the Spanish Civil War. The vase was collected and placed in a safe place before the restoration to return it to its original location after the renovations.

Article obtained from Wikipedia article Wikipedia in his version of 10/09/2020, by various authors under the license Licencia de Documentación Libre GNU.