The development of Santiago de la Ribera at Chalet Barnuevo

Located in Santiago de la Ribera, San Javier, Murcia, Chalet Barnuevo is a Modernist house from the 20th century. It was one of the first coastal residences and led to the urban development of the surrounding area. The property was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural on June 8, 1992, under registry RI-51-0006987.

The history of the area began with the Torre Mínguez estate, built by Antonio Lisón and later passed to his heirs, including Teresa Sandoval. Sandoval married José María Barnuevo, and the couple planned a hotel near the Mar Menor due to the favorable climate and location. This, along with the resources of the Barnuevo-Sandoval family, attracted wealthy families from Murcia to build vacation homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Barnuevo-Sandoval family built Chalet Barnuevo and, along with their gardens, also built the chapel of Santiago Apóstol, which started the urban expansion of the town.

Chalet Barnuevo features a pentagonal floor plan with rooms designed for specific services on each of its five sides. The layout included a poultry house and dovecote toward the sea, a stable and service quarters on the flanks, and garages at the rear. The interior features a staircase behind the entrance, family rooms, and rooms named the piano room and the labor room. The property is surrounded by a garden area, featuring a gate and a round fountain at the entrance, while a carved wooden viewing gallery overlooks the exterior.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons