Hanging Houses, the symbol of Cuenca

Did you know that the city of Basin is it one of the main monumental ensembles in Spain? In fact, thanks to its international projection, its old town, its old suburbs and the gorges of the Júcar and Huécar rivers, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Located in Castilla-La Mancha, in the heart of the mountainous area of ​​Cuenca, the city houses an architectural heritage and well preserved. Of course, the most surprising thing is its integration with the natural environment. In fact, a good part of the old town is a viewpoint over the gorges of the two rivers that we mentioned before. Among its main attractions is the Cathedral and the old Dominican convent, which today houses the Parador de Turismo. Of course, we cannot forget the famous Hanging houses, which we are going to talk about in depth today. Would you like to join us?

Cantilevered balconies

As we have just mentioned, today we want to talk about the Hanging Houses, which are also known as Casas Voladas or Casas del Rey. As you can see for yourself in the images that we show you in our gallery, it is a set of buildings civilians They are characterized by having a cantilevered part of them, which means that they do not have any solid material under them, only vacuum. Of course, it is important to keep in mind that these cantilevered balconies are fixed to the wall from the bottom to the inside so as not to collapse. In the past, this type of architectural element was quite common on the edge of this city located in front of the Huécar river sickle.

Of uncertain origin

The origin of the Hanging Houses is uncertain, although it is known that they already existed in the 15th century. In addition, it is important to note that throughout history they have been reformed on different occasions. The most recent reform took place in the 1920s. As you know, it is one of the main symbols of Cuenca, as well as being a true jewel of architecture gothic popular. They are made of masonry with ashlars in the corners and are seated in corbels.

Only three houses can be visited

Only three of the Hanging Houses can be visited. This is the Casa de la Sirena, which houses a restaurant where you can taste tradition; and the Casas del Rey, whose interior preserves original building elements, such as the watch of wood. Here is the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art. We want to point out that the exterior cover of the Casas del Rey is Renaissance and comes from an old palace in Villarejo de la Peñuela.

They are not called Hanging Houses

On the other hand, we also want to make it clear that these peculiar homes are not hanging, as many people mistakenly say. For the people of Cuenca it is important that this monument be named correctly and, in fact, there are groups in social networks that claim. Apparently, the late José Luis Coll, originally from Cuenca, used to say the following sentence: "The houses are hung, the snot are hanging."

Other towns with hanging houses

Before saying goodbye, we want to comment that in Spain there are other towns that have hanging houses such as Albarracín, Castellfollit de la Roca, Cantavieja, Frías, Ronda and Tarazona. They can even be found in Girona. Of course, it is important to note that some of these homes not only have the balcony hanging, but also parts of the interior of the houses. Then we leave you with our Gallery, where you will find more images of the Hanging Houses of Cuenca. Do not miss it!

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Enchanted City Of Cuenca, Madrid And lisbon. Shot With A GoPro and Phantom 3 Pro. FULL HD (May 2024)