C/ Parras, 5.

A couple of streets heading south take us to the home of Maribel Navajas, and her wonderful Patio at Calle Parras, 5. A communal house where up to six families once lived, shortly before Maribel acquired it with her husband, Pedro Montes, in the early 1980s.

Traditional architecture and materials

Maribel and her family love antique things, and that’s why they decided to decorate the walls with beautiful tiles featuring geometric designs inspired by Arab motifs. The floor, as expected, is largely covered with the famous Cordoban pebble mosaic, but in this case, it is combined with clay tiles “… because they retain coolness very well after watering the plants in the afternoon,” she adds.

Decorative elements with history

The love for antiques can also be seen in the many items that adorn the patio, such as a 1914 sewing machine, an early 20th-century typewriter, antique washbasins, and pitcher stands… “Most of them are gifts from our friends; they think of how well they would look in our patio and give them to us…”

Vegetation and sustainable irrigation system

But the most interesting thing about the Patio at Calle Parras, 5 is its plant and floral composition. Maribel proudly shows off a gigantic Swiss cheese plant about thirty years old, and Chinese geraniums, her favorite flowers. “All the flowers drink rainwater,” Maribel tells us, as they have devised a storage system for that water, which arrives via channels installed on the roof of the house. As if that weren’t enough, they’ve built a sort of greenhouse around those channels, aiming to care for the more delicate plants that cannot be exposed to the sun year-round in the patio.

Awards and recognition

Maribel and her family have received numerous awards over the years, especially remembered are the three first prizes in 2003, 2007, and 2010, and the second prizes in 2004, 2008, and 2009.

Guided tours of the Patios of Córdoba

If you wish to discover the Patios of Córdoba, do not hesitate to book one of our guided tours. We will pay special attention to the Patio at Calle Parras, 5. We are experts in the interpretation of Cordoban historical heritage. If you’ve chosen to go sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a quality option, choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.