The Casino in Torrevieja
Casinos have been used as social venues since the last century
Standing in the heart of the town of Torrevieja on the Paseo Vistalegre, almost opposite the main tourist office, is the impressive modernist Casino building which dates from 1896.
The building is home to the Sociedad Cultural Casino de Torrevieja, which was founded 30 years earlier in 1867, and stands out from those around it as an imposing, almost colonial-style establishment which has an air of faded past splendor and majesty redolent of the height of Torrevieja’s wealth as a trading port in the late nineteenth century.
From the outside the visitor is struck by the Moorish style elaborately decorated columns and porticos, and once inside by the atmosphere of old world dignity in the old ballroom and adjoining areas. Although this is still a private club to some extent, members of the general public are welcome to use the cafeteria at the front and bar facilities.
But be careful where you sit! Some areas are reserved for members who pay a monthly fee of 18€, and this gives them the right to occupy the privileged window seats, from where they can watch the world go by in comfort. They also hold the right to use the upstairs lounges and the games rooms (which contain two billiards tables and various card tables), and on occasions when the Casino hosts cultural events they hold priority to admission before doors are opened to the general public. On the first floor there is also a small chapel and a library, and the view out over the marina and the Paseo is one of the finest in the town.
Anyone interested in joining should call in and ask about membership or email as shown below.
Moving further inside past the ballroom which now serves as the cafeteria the visitor can visit a second area which was built by Andalucían craftsmen in the early 1900s, imitating the Arabic style of the Alhambra in many respects and also reflecting the idea of a central patio which was a typical element of Moorish architecture. The beautifully crafted geometrical decorations are hard to see in the twilight of this interior room, but contribute to the atmosphere of calm which belies the fact that the building was used as an army headquarters during the Civil War.
In the “Generación del 98” saloon there are portraits of the authors who formed part of this literary movement, and there are still frequent art exhibitions and other cultural activities: this is, after all, a cultural society as well as one of the most interesting architectural features in the town of Torrevieja.
Address: Paseo Vistalegre, 14, 03181 Torrevieja, Alicante
Tel: 965 710104
Click for map, Paseo Vistalegre, Torrevieja
Email: casinodetorrevieja@casinodetorrevieja.es
