The 20th Century Breathes Through the Facade of Alicante's Casa Carbonell

It is noon when Elsa's doorbell rings. The chime coincides with the tolling of the bells that envelop the surroundings of Casa Carbonell, announcing midday. After checking her watch to confirm the time, this Alicante woman, who divides her life between here and Dublin, opens the door and welcomes us to the main floor, the first, of this iconic building on the Explanada de España.

A stylish and sophisticated scarf around her neck hints at Elsa Gómez Reus's gracious manners towards her guests. Her smile overcomes the fatigue from the night of the tribute to Casa Carbonell and leads to narrating the history of her residence, built by architect Juan Vidal Ramos at the behest of her great-grandfather Enrique Carbonell Antolí (Alcoi 1870 – Madrid 1924) a century ago. This visit, very particular and exclusive to TodoAlicante, awaits her sister María José and her daughter Elena.

As soon as you step onto the original pavement of the main house of Casa Carbonell, which spans two homes with 460 square meters, the first question about the origins of the property arises, accompanied by a brief overview of the illustrious Alcoyan entrepreneur and intellectual's family tree. "This was his house, but unfortunately, he never lived here," explains Elsa Gómez Reus, referring to her great-grandfather's premature death following an ulcer operation.

The Alcoyan entrepreneur, dedicated to the textile world, set his sights on the land that once hosted the Puerta del Mar market, prior to the current Mercado de Abastos, better known as Alicante's Central Market. It was in 1918 when Enrique Carbonell acquired them to elevate his residence, in the house that bears his name, with the intention that his daughter Herminia, delicate in health, could reside with him. His granddaughter Elsa Gómez Reus also explains that "he had ambitions to expand his business, it was both things."

However, there were two setbacks in this story, followed by many legends. The first was the premature death of Enrique Carbonell, who could not see this work of Alicante architecture completed. He passed away in November 1924, when the exteriors of Casa Carbonell were finished, with only interior details to be completed in the following months. Additionally, "my aunt Herminia did not like Alicante, she was very much from Alcoi," narrates her great-niece. "She said she had nothing to lose and always lived there."

It was her sister Enriqueta Carbonell Sempere, Elsa's grandmother, who inherited the house. "She lived here with her children," as she was the only sister who had descendants. Among them, Elsa Reus, who also enjoyed this unique property, preserved as in her first visit, until it passed to her daughter, the current owner. She is not the only one in the entire building, as "my siblings have several homes," details Gómez Reus. These currently serve for residential use while others are rented for offices, with Casa Carbonell conceived for both purposes from its first stone.

Living in this enclave, turned into a postcard of the city of Alicante, "is a privilege" and also a great responsibility. The family maintains both the building and the main floor in perfect condition, transporting their guests to the 1920s of the last century. "We are very fond of what we have." This commendable effort to care for the legacy of their ancestors has led its owners to receive the Mediterranean Award for their culture of conservation, awarded last May by the homonymous company that manages the estate.

Evidence of all this is seen in every corner of Casa Carbonell, from its two access porticos, numbers 1 and 2 of the Explanada de España, which serve to access the two staircases, to the forging of its elevator and the decoration of its landings. However, the spirit of Enrique Carbonell remains intact, with minimal changes, in the interior of the main residence, where Elsa Gómez Reus resides.

Upon entering the main residence of Casa Carbonell, the first glance is directed at the surface. The hydraulic tiles that make up the original floor of this room are the work of Catalan artisans Doménech and Montaner. The ceilings also boast the same distinction. "Nothing has changed here," Elsa Gómez Reus proudly states. "It's like it was a hundred years ago."

On the left is the first room, converted into an office by the current owner. It is here that, on one of its walls facing San Fernando Street, hangs the portrait of Enrique Carbonell, alongside another of Elsa Gómez Reus's paternal grandfather. It is here that her roots, from Alcoi and Burgos, converge. The room is decorated with Irish furniture, from her husband Bryan.

Returning to the entrance hall and continuing through it, a spacious landing appears where the family's piano rests. "It is signed by Rubinstein inside," and on the lid that protects the strings stands a photograph of the composer, dedicated to Carbonell. After this Thursday, it is accompanied by the tesserae of the Explanada promenade, granted by the City Council following the tribute promoted by the community of owners with the lighting of lights.

Behind the piano is a large French-origin stained glass window. This was made by the Maumejean House, a French family business, official glaziers of the Royal House of Alfonso XII with a workshop in Madrid and branches in Barcelona. Their works, in addition to Casa Carbonell, are also admired in the Palace of Telecommunications located in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles, in the Cathedral of Bayonne, and the Biarritz Town Hall.

This stained glass installed in Alicante has a peculiarity. "It was made in reverse and is better seen from the kitchen," Elsa Gómez Reus is still surprised when presenting this work of art preceded by the family piano. On its opposite side is a new room, the living room initially dedicated to the instrument. This still retains the original wallpaper with which its walls were covered, with a single change: one of the sides is mirrored due to deterioration. Despite its good acoustics, it also changed function and currently houses a small lounge.

The entrance hall of the main house, filled with photographs of all generations and also of the Irish saga, thus forming the family corner, leads to another room, the former main living room. This has a view of Cervantes Street in Alicante with the building of the former Hotel Palas and the Explanada de España. It is located in the row of the lateral towers of Casa Carbonell, with a circular corner.

"It's a marvel," admires Elsa Gómez Reus after confessing that she has changed the decoration ninety percent to leave it with "an informal touch." The room was the main living room of yesteryear, which featured "beautiful tapestries" among other elements that elevate it to the category of gold. She recalls well how they tiptoed when they entered during her childhood.

Among the most relevant details, the owner of the main floor of Casa Carbonell reveals that the original floor is the same as that of the Liceo in Barcelona, and the lamp also belongs to the original living room. At the back extends a carpet from the Royal Factory that has been restored for its conservation. This has a somewhat peculiar shape, "I think my grandmother cut it," showing the heritage and textile experience of the Carbonell family.

A new corridor leads to what was once the grand dining room of the main floor of Casa Carbonell. Today it is filled with original furniture and details, such as the fireplace that crowns the room. Sculpted in marble, it features a relief by Alcoyan sculptor Lorenzo Ridaura. The piece represents industry and commerce in memory and tribute to Enrique Carbonell's factory. The ceiling paintings are by Julio Pascual, while the pavement tiles are the same as those of the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

In front of it, seated in two armchairs, are María José Gómez Reus and Elena Ranalow Gómez, daughter of Elsa and great-great-granddaughter of Carbonell. Both join the conversation and reveal numerous family details and anecdotes. Among them, the admiration for the great-grandfather, a man "intelligent and with a huge vision for the future."

María José continues to point out that her great-grandfather was a man of the early 20th century who "knew how to have a huge vision for business, art, and society, he was truly incredible." Elsa joins her words to emphasize that Enrique Carbonell came from a humble family. "He was a feminist," she also proudly acknowledges, recounting the education he provided to his two daughters at the American International Institute in Madrid, precursor of the Free Institution of Education.

"My grandmother obtained a piano degree with extraordinary prize and spoke perfect English," asserts María José, while Elsa narrates an anecdote. She married her husband Bryan, an Irishman, in Alcoi, and her parents attended the ceremony. "My grandmother served an 'after on tea' that not even the Queen of England," she recalls while the sisters laugh. "My mother-in-law was surprised because they were very ahead of their time."

At the same time, Elsa Gómez Reus again emphasizes her great-grandfather's humble origins, "he was very humane," which made him care for his factory workers "so they had the best conditions." On this, she points out "their strikes were the first to cease because he acceded to the requests."

He also had a vision for Alicante and "had big plans" to create a large square in front of the Town Hall, after the explosion of the Armería El Gato, whose configuration changed to a huge rectangle—before the Provincial Court was erected, when the Town Hall faced directly to the back of Carbonell—after initially being a triangular square. "The center would have had a Ridaura design because the location is unique."

Behind this grand dining room is Enrique Carbonell's bedroom, which he never got to inaugurate due to his premature death at the Ritz Hotel in Madrid. Today it is the bedroom of Elsa Gómez Reus, which still retains the original 20th-century furniture, which combines with a unique view of the Explanada de España, its tesserae, and the Alicante sea that sways in the waters of the city's port.

Many of these anecdotes have been passed down from generation to generation, while many others have been recovered thanks to the work of Isker Torrecillas Sempere, biographer-historian of the Carbonell family. Similarly, the memory of the factory in Alcoi is still preserved as its building remains standing, converted into the headquarters of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) in the city of bridges. It was this Friday when they donated a portrait of Enrique Carbonell to the institution, following a round table where his figure was honored.