This ancestral home is located in the historic centre of Jerez, a land with a rich cultural past in which different cultures coexisted, where you can experience a unique stay in the surroundings of this house that belonged to the ‘de la Riva’ family of Cantabria.
A long story
Manuel Antonio de la Riva y Pomar was born on 1838 in Ruiloba (Santander). He moved to Jerez when he was only 20 years old because he wanted to exploit the business of its excellent wines. It was here where he met and married Mª Guadalupe Gonzalez de Tagle. They settled down in this unique and typical Andalusian house, hence the name ‘Los Patios de la Riva’. The happy couple’s family grew, and Manuel Antonio saw his business goal come to life, the goal that had motivated him in his youth and was the reason he left his beloved Cantabrian lands. He founded a small winery, M.Antonio de la Riva, of great renown due to its old soleras and fine wines.
As a great promoter of Jerez wines, Manuel Antonio was elected honorary president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1902. He was also a member of the Spanish Parliament.
Our house
Our house is located in the heart of the old and medieval quarter of San Pedro, the oldest area being calle Bizcocheros. This neighbourhood, with its square structure, is home to the church of San Pedro and several stately homes.
In this house we have managed to salvage, conserve, and reproduce certain elements of the building from the 18th century.
The courtyards and porches
Andalusia’s rich cultural past is a consequence of the various civilisations that have passed through its land, leaving their mark, and making this region one of the most attractive areas to visit in every way.
Andalusian courtyards have their origins in the ancient Roman domus, which had an interior courtyard where natural light and water could be found. Later, the Muslims used this component of the house as the centre of domestic life and arranged the rooms around it.
Over time, these courtyards became a gathering place for the whole family and, in some cases, an entire neighbourhood.
Courtyards not only provide light for the home, but they are also the ideal environment for growing plants and flowers that bring colour as well as a myriad of heady aromas.
It is the ideal place to relax and unwind, a meeting place for friends and family gatherings.