Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Inside a Secret Mansion in Downtown San Jose

It's impossible to walk by this architectural marvel, crumbling right before your eyes, and not want to know it's story, to rescue it, to see it live again. This beautiful and mysterious building is Casa Jiménez. Built in 1905 it was designed by it's original owner, lawyer and diplomat Manuel Francisco Jiménez Ortiz. It is one of the only remaining Art Nouveau style buildings in the city, and it's a feature on our walking tours


The building is currently under disputed ownership, or rather it's stuck in court. It is on the Ministry of Culture's protected Heritage list and therefore its architectural integrity must be maintained in remodeling, but at this point, it simply needs to be saved.


Barrio Bird did have the chance to sneak inside and snap some photos. Here is a look inside the torn apart building, as well as a photo of it's original glory. 
Barrio Bird offers walking tours of San Jose. If you are a visitor or have lived here for some time, there is always a new way to see the city. View tours or make a reservation by emailing barriobird@gmail.com or calling 8926-9867.

11 comments:

  1. I walk past this every single day when to and from me work bus and always wondered about it and felt so bad for the building! Thanks for the info and the photos. Even my friends from Peru asked and I told them I had no idea what the backstory was...

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