Guinness

In 1990, the Guinness Book went to Malaga to register a church Catholic never seen before. What was really unusual was not only its size, but its location: it was hidden inside a castle built by a retired doctor who had decided to dedicate years of his life to a very particular historical obsession. A castle born of an obsession. In 1987, when most people think about enjoying their retirement, the doctor Stephen Martin Martin He decided to embark on a much more unlikely undertaking. After decades practicing as a gynecologist and surgeon in the United States, he returned to Spain convinced that the figure of Christopher Columbus had not received the recognition he deserved and resolved lift with your own hands a monument that corrected that absence. What started as a personal idea on a plot of land in Benalmádena ended up becoming one of the strangest and most surprising constructions on the Costa del Sol: a contemporary castle that seems to have emerged from another era and that defies any attempt at architectural classification. Seven years, three men and no machines. The magnitude of the project is even more surprising when you know how it was built. Between 1987 and 1994Martín worked accompanied only by the bricklayers Juan Blanco and Domingo Núñez, building the set practically by hand and following techniques inspired by the Late Middle Ages. Without large equipment or financing institutional, the three men transformed stone, brick, cement and wood into a construction of about 1,500 square meters and more than thirty meters high. The project ended up consuming a large part of the financial resources of its creator, who continued ahead despite the skepticism of those who considered him an eccentric or a dreamer incapable of completing such an undertaking. An encyclopedia of history. Although it is popularly known as a castle, the monument is actually a gigantic story in stone dedicated to the voyages of Columbus and Spain at the end of the 15th century. Each corner contains symbols, characters, historical references and architectural elements designed to teach history visually. The set mix influences neo-Gothic, neo-Romanesque, neo-Mudejar and neo-Byzantine, becoming a species from architectural manual outdoors. Among towers, staircases, stained glass windows and sculptures there are allusions to the Catholic Monarchs, the navigators of the Columbian expedition, the House of Castile and the House of Aragon, as well as numerous episodes related to the discovery of America. The three cultures and the dream that was not fulfilled. One of the most unique aspects of the monument is its intention to represent the three great religious traditions who lived together in Spain at the time: Christians, Muslims and Jews. This cultural mix is ​​reflected in many details decorative decorations distributed throughout the construction. However, the most unexpected element is a chinese pagoda that emerges between the medieval towers. Its presence responds to a very specific idea: remember that Columbus never set out in search of a new continent, but rather a route to Asia. The castle not only honors what really happened, but also what the navigator thought he was doing when he began his journey. The stone caravels are the greatest tribute to Columbus. The monument is full of physical references to the trip of 1492. The silhouettes of the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María appear integrated into the structure itself, emerging between towers and walls as if they were sailing on an ocean of stone. La Niña occupies a prominent position under the La Rábida arch, La Pinta is integrated into the main façade and Santa María appears separate from the main complex as a reminder of its shipwreck. All this contributes to turning the complex into the greatest monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus of the world, a work conceived not as a historical reproduction, but as an artistic and symbolic interpretation of one of the most influential expeditions in history. Access to the tiny church The impossible church. However, the biggest surprise of the complex is not in its towers or its historical references. Hidden within the castle walls is the Chapel of Saint Elizabeth of Hungarya space of just 1.96 square meters that is often cited as the smallest Catholic church in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. The contrast is fascinating: a gigantic monument dedicated to one of the great stories of Western history houses inside a temple so small that it is barely possible to stay in it. to a single person. Some chronicles even they claim that during certain ceremonies the priest was the only occupant inside while the rest of the participants remained outside. Symbol more than building. The tiny chapel was never designed to house large congregations. Its importance lies in the meaning it concentrates in a minimum space. Consecrated by the prior of the Monastery of La Rábida and dedicated to a saint associated with charity and helping those in need, it represents a radically different vision of religious monumentality. In front of the great cathedrals and basilicas, this small enclosure demonstrates that symbolism and architectural emotion they do not depend necessarily the size. Its irregular floor plan, the religious figures preserved inside and some pieces made by Esteban Martín himself reinforce its character as a hidden gem within an already extraordinary work. The legacy of madness. Martín dreamed of the monument becoming a research center dedicated to Columbus and even imagined that one day it could house the remains of the navigator. None of these projects came to fruition, and the creator he abandoned the works in 1994disappointed by the little attention his work had received during the celebrations of the fifth centenary of the discovery of America. However, time ended up granting him the recognition he sought. Today the Colomares Castle It is one of the most unique buildings in Spain, an architectural fantasy built by a doctor and two bricklayers that combines history, art, symbolism and personal obsession. And perhaps the best proof of this is that, … Read more