Patrimonio Artístico. Cuenca. Casas de Colores

ARTISTIC HERITAGE. CUENCA. HOUSES OF COLOURS

Calle Alfonso VIII de Cuenca, previously called Calle Correduría (brokerage) because it was the place for walking and business for the high society of Cuenca, provides a beautiful sight from San Felipe church to the forecourt of the Cathedral - the colourful houses.

These are the buildingslocated on both sides of the street that are characterised by their narrow shape, and above all, their colourful design.

Yellows, reds, oranges and blues, but also greys and blacks provide an impressive colour scheme which contrasts with the white door and window frames, known as blincada.

The name comes from the verb “blincar” (to stand out) because the intention behind these white frames was nothing but a security measure. In that period, the streets were not well lit, and so the people painted a white circle around their doors and windows to be able to see in the dark whether someone was entering or leaving during the night, “standing out” against the colours.

It is not exactly known when the houses started to be painted with these striking colours. The trend seems to have emerged during the 19th century. Previously, there were reports that every house in Cuenca was white. For example, the work of Anton van den Wyngaerde –a Flemish landscape painter in the 16th Century who was commissioned by Felipe II to travel across Spain painting villages and cities– did not contain these colours.

Also, more recently there are paintings and drawings that show that the houses were still white.

This magnificent fold-out miniature sheet shows a light blue sky in the background with images on both sides. On one side there is the main facade of the Santa María and San Julián Cathedral with the houses of colour which hide the sepia houses in their interior folds.

The stamp features a detail of this image, which perfectly depicts the colour scheme provided by the old town of Cuenca, which was made a World Heritage Site in 1996.