8, Aceite Street.

The house on 8, Aceite Street is the result of an intense and constant work throughout the years, when José Antonio Espinosa and his wife Carmen were able to turn a neighbours’ house in ruins into what we can enjoy today, one of the most complete and visited courtyards in the contest.

José Antonio, builder and long-time resident in the neighbourhood of Santiago, bought this 600-square-metresite in the 80s, with the aim of redoing it and later living there with his family.

The house has three courtyards, each of them with a different name: “Courtyard of the Pebbles“, “Courtyard of the Jars” and “Courtyard of the Garden or the Pool“. Each of them has its idiosyncrasy, let us see them all.

The first courtyard is known as of the pebbles, as the floor is covered by the typical pebbles from Córdoba, which is so popular in this city. We can highlight the old bricked walls and the archaeological remains over the cornices. In the centre we can see a fountain surrounded by plants. Besides, there are two decorating cypresses next to the pots on the walls, with daisies, geraniums and calla lilies.

Next, we get to the courtyard of the jars. It seems to follow more closely the example of the traditional courtyard from Córdoba, but we are attracted by its pots, which are yellow instead of red or blue, which are more frequent, although the flowers are the same, that is, mainly geraniums. There is also a cypress in this courtyard, a fountain full of fish and a door covered by a small roof.

The third and last courtyard is that of the garden or pool. It could have been an old kitchen, as there is an old stove decorated with old clay pots and saucepans, which provide it with a beautiful past appearance, where the lemon tree stands out, as well as the typical plants. Unlike the other two courtyards, this breaks all the schemes of the classical courtyard, being almost anarchic in its vegetation and architecture. We can get to the garden through the last courtyard, which catches our attention due to the great amount of plants: jasmines, night-blooming jasmines, bougainvillaes, roses… and in its centre there is a pool with water streams which makes it beautiful.

If you are wondering what to do in Córdoba, we recommend you visit the Courtyards in Córdoba hiring one of our guided tours. We will dedicate there a special chapter to the Courtyard on 8, Aceite Street. Choose to do high quality sightseeing with qualified staff. Do not hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is the best option.

Text: J.A.S.C.