The historic manor of Can Fontova in El Masnou

Located at the corner of Carrer de Jaume I and Carrer dels Capitans Comellas, Can Fontova is a house of the municipality of El Masnou in the Maresme region. The building is protected as a local cultural heritage site. It features a rectangular floor plan with a ground floor, first floor, and lofts, topped with a double-sloped tile roof with a parallel eave on the main facade. The main facade, oriented toward the south, is composed of three axes of symmetry. At the ground floor level, a central access door with a lowered arch is flanked by two straight lintel openings and wrought iron grilles.

On the first floor, there are three balconies with wrought iron grilles, featuring straight lintel openings and top rails. The loft level contains three small square openings. All windows are protected by wooden louvered shutters. The facade consists of smooth stucco painted in a soft beige-cream color, with white fringes and moldings surrounding the openings. A decorated cornice with brackets crowns the building.

The first owner of the house was Dr. Josep Baroy i Bardolet. In 1889, the first Municipal Public College was established here until the construction of a new building in 1904, during which time the teachers lived in the house. Rosa Sensat also lived here. The house was named after Dr. Ramon Fontova i Rosell, a physician from Lleida, who lived and held his consultation there during the first half of the 20th century. He was the brother of Francesca Fontova i Rosell, one of the first women to obtain a medical doctorate in the Spanish State.

Between 1936 and 1938, Vicenç Albert Ballester i Camps lived in the house. He was the creator of the estelada, and the president of the Parliament paid him a tribute in this home.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons