After almost four decades closed to the public, Velintonia, the iconic residence where Vicente Aleixandre lived, has once again welcomed visitors. This house, located at number 3 on the street that now bears the poet's name, witnessed the gatherings and social gatherings of the Generation of '27, becoming a true literary refuge and a symbol of XNUMXth-century Spanish culture.
The recent opening has generated enormous expectations among literature lovers and the citizens of Madrid. More than 350 people have already been able to tour its main rooms thanks to guided tours organized by the Community of Madrid, which acquired the property at auction for just over 3 million euros last April. This first visit heralds a new phase for the Nobel Prize winner's home, which is planning its complete restoration and conversion into the House of Poetry and Vicente Aleixandre Museum by 2027, coinciding with important literary anniversaries.
A historic open day
During the opening day, groups of visitors, up to 20 people, they entered the main floor, discovering emblematic spaces such as the library, the bedroom where the poet wrote at night and the room where Federico GarcÃa Lorca played the piano. The garden with its century-old cedar of Lebanon, planted by Aleixandre himself in the 40s after the Civil War, remains intact as part of the writer's material and symbolic legacy.
Throughout the tour, visitors listened to original recordings of Vicente Aleixandre reciting verses and enjoyed explanations by members of the Association of Friends of Vicente Aleixandre, who shared anecdotes, poetic fragments, and details about everyday life in Velintonia when it was a meeting point for great figures of Spanish literature.
Free tickets for these guided tours sold out immediately., which has led to the creation of new dates due to the interest generated. The public can register online for upcoming events, with the next scheduled for July 14.
From place of creation to protected heritage
Velintonia was not only the space where Aleixandre composed a good part of his work, but also the epicenter of the creativity of the Generation of '27. Poets and friends such as Lorca, Cernuda, Alberti, Miguel Hernández, Carmen Conde or Gerardo Diego, forming a key intellectual network for Spanish literary history.
After Aleixandre's death in 1984, the house remained in his family's hands until the death of his sister Conchita, at which point lengthy disputes between heirs and administrations began. Finally, the Community of Madrid purchased the property, thus ensuring its preservation and future opening as a cultural space.
The rehabilitation project, already underway, seeks to maintain the original essence of the homeThe original tiles, remnants of the furniture and layout from the 40s, as well as iconic elements such as the sofa where the poet used to relax after writing, will be restored. Other highlights include the restoration of Aleixandre's personal library and the exhibition of manuscripts and objects that survived the passing of time and the Civil War.
The objective of its promoters is that Velintonia is not only a house museum, but a living space for reading, reflection and literary encounters, where events, workshops and exhibitions are scheduled to restore the cultural buzz of the building's golden age.
Protection and future of Velintonia
The Community of Madrid has initiated proceedings to declare the house Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) in the Intangible Heritage category, under the name 'The Memory of Velintonia: House of Poetry'. This will grant the building the highest legal protection, facilitating investment in its restoration and ensuring its continued openness to the public.
In the near future, the building will be functionally divided into two: number 3 will house the Vicente Aleixandre House of Poetry and Museum, while number 5 will house the poet's archive, an auditorium, offices, and an exhibition hall. It is expected that by 2027, coinciding with the centenary of the Generation of '27 and the 50th anniversary of Aleixandre's death, Velintonia will once again be the epicenter of the national literary scene.
Furthermore, negotiations are ongoing to recover objects and documents dispersed among the writer's heirs and friends, with the aim of restoring the house's "original spirit" as quickly as possible and offering an authentic experience to its visitors.
They have come to light hidden heritage vestiges, such as tiles from the 1920s, heated floors and marks from old belongings, which will be preserved in the final museumization of the building.
Through the opening of Velintonia, Madrid recovers not only a home, but a living testimony of the Silver Age of Spanish cultureThe house, which served as a refuge during the dictatorship and a center of resistance and intellectual freedom, is reopening with the hope of becoming a reference point for poetry lovers and future generations.