The Delegation of Cultural Action, Heritage and Cultural Resources of Valencia City Hall has planned a series of actions to mark the first centenary – in 2028 – of the death of the writer, politician and journalist. Vicente Blasco Ibánezwhich will be implemented gradually each year.
Among them, with the aim of highlighting the House Museum, which was his residence in the Malva-rosa district, a significant part of the investments to be made, at the expense of municipal budgets and the legacy of Gloria Llorca, the granddaughter of the author. , received as an inheritance by the aforementioned institution, will be used for the conservation and improvement of the House Museum.
On June 14, the work of cleaning the moldings of the openings and facades of the building was assigned, as well as the restoration of the bust of Blasco, work of the sculptor Víctor Hino, exhibited in the garden. The works were awarded to the company Noema Restauradores SL, for an amount of 17,508.70 euros (VAT included) and a turnaround time of four months.
The work, already completed, was carried out with the aim of avoiding possible damage due to the proximity of the property to the sea and to maintain the building, its sculptures and other ornamental elements in good conservation conditions, indicated the town hall. indicated in a press release.
As the Councilor for Cultural Action, Heritage and Cultural Resources, José Luis Moreno, explained, “due to its permanent exposure to sun, humidity and the sea, the bronze bust of Blasco Ibáñez presented various alterations. “Although, in general, it was in a fairly good state of conservation, it had significant areas of bronze chlorides which affected its stability,” he added.
In addition, the coverings of the various facades of the House Museum and its ornamental elements are made with cement mortar with reinforcement based on internal iron rods. The property being located in a marine environment, moisture from water penetrates through existing small crackswhich causes a continuous corrosion process of the rods. This is transmitted by pressure and thrust on the covering material, by the solubilization of mortars, as well as by internal disintegration, resulting in the fall and loss of the covering.
Given these circumstances, the intervention carried out, which was carried out using a lifting platform, consisted of the elimination of the areas broken by oxidation of the internal iron reinforcement, the cleaning of the iron, the replacement of volumetric gaps, the reproduction of ornamental elements by in situ modeling, the internal and external consolidation of the whole and the provision of a uniform and homogeneous appearance to the work. Finally, a protective paint treatment was provided, with the same tones as those currently existing.
Next actions
At the same time, other actions to improve the House Museum are underway or planned by the Delegation of Cultural Action, Heritage and Cultural Resources. This is the case of adaptation of the balcony of the building: at present the implementation of a system or air curtain that will allow public access to the terrace is already in the construction phase, thus maintaining the air conditioning of the space exhibition in perfect conditions at all times.
Likewise, the complete rehabilitation of the two caryatids which adorn the Pompeian terrace of the House Museum is also planned. This will be an action to be carried out over the years, in the same way as the project to replace the perimeter grille of the building, which also has rust due to the proximity to the sea, causing serious damage the exterior appearance and even the integrity of the building. certain elements of the building.
In another chapter of investments, last July, the Historical and Artistic Heritage Service contracted, for an amount of 5,737 euros (VAT included) and an execution period of six months, the preparation of technical assistance for updating and networking, through the AbsysNet program, catalog of bibliographic funds deposited at the Blasco Ibáñez House-Museum, in order to facilitate consultation by researchers.
Reissues, conferences and sculpture trails
In the editorial field, the publication of the work carried out in the various calls of the Blasco Ibáñez Scholarship It will be accompanied by the edition of some of the most famous titles of the Valencian novelist, such as “La barraca” (with illustrations by José Benlliure) or “Los Muertos Mandan” (with drawings by José Segrelles), among others. Likewise, works such as “Flor de mayo” and “The four horsemen of the Apocalypse” will be reissued in pocket format; or the publication of different essays and research works on the relationship between Blasco and cinema.
Furthermore, and while the program to commemorate the centenary of the death of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez is being finalized, the House Museum will continue to play its role as a place of meeting, dialogue and reflection around the figure and the work of the author. For this, different conference cycleslike the one that will take place on October 17, 24 and 31 under the title “Valencia, a city of fiction”, which will have as speakers Francisco López Porcal and Carlos Aimeur.
Finally, the municipality will promote the creation, from 2025, of a sculpture trail that will represent characters from films and literary works by Blasco Ibáñez set in the city of Valencia. One of the first flagship novels of this initiative will be “Arroz y tartana” (1894), the publication of which celebrates its 130th anniversary. The tour will present other titles by the author, such as “Flor de mayo” (1895), “La barraca” (1898) and “Reeds and mud” (1902).
The statues, in bronze and of a figurative nature, will be located in the places where the plots of the novels take place, at pedestrian height, and will include QR codes with all the information on each work.
