The Pantry House of Espera. Historical, architectural and planimetric analysis

Abstract

The Pantry House Pantry or Mill of the Tithes is a baroque style building constructed at the end of the 18th century for the cash collection of the decimal rent, a tax repealed with the Madoz's Disentailment Law in 1855. The Pantry House of Espera is one of the most representative houses of the thirteen remaining in the province of Cadiz, and the only one that was also used as oil-mill (olive press). Organized around a central courtyard, is one of the few Andalucía houses that offers a full structure. The framework, which consist on a rectangular floor and double height, still preserves the old barns, the warehouse, the oil storages, the offices, and the former machinery in a relative good condition. The Andalucía Regional Government agreed to declare it an Asset of National Interest, The House Pantry of Espera, published in the BOJA (Official Newsletter of the Andalucía Regional Government) July 21, 2009.Few studies nor bibliographical references have been found about this building of great importance and emblem of the urban development of this small Cádiz municipality, probably due to the limited and confusing historical documentation which was lacking of planes or graphical documents about its current condition, labor that also approaches this article.