The political party, Podemos, has submitted a formal written query to the Congress of Deputies, seeking answers from the government regarding measures being undertaken to prevent the auction of Vicente Aleixandre’s house, an asset of significant historical and heritage value which is currently up for sale.
Podemos Deputy, Javier Sánchez, questions, “Does the government have plans to declare Vicente Aleixandre’s house as a house museum or to urgently implement any other measure that could prevent the auction of an asset of such historical and heritage importance?” This query was officially documented and reported by Europa Press.
The question brings to attention that the house at Velintonia 3 in Madrid, once home to the Nobel laureate in literature, Vicente Aleixandre, is set to be publicly auctioned in the near future. This is due to the fact that it was not declared an Asset of Cultural Interest when such a request was made to the Culture Council of the Community of Madrid.
Sánchez emphasises that “Velintonia 3 is more than just a simple architectural structure. This house, rich in cultural and literary memories, has also served as a meeting point and sanctuary for artists and authors of all kinds in Spain, similar to the houses of poet Luis Cernuda in Andalusia and Salvador Dalí in Catalonia.”
He further argues that renowned figures like Federico García Lorca, Luis Cernuda, Gerardo Diego, Jorge Guillén, José Hierro, and Pablo Neruda have all been visitors at this residence, thereby strengthening the case for transforming the house into a sanctuary of Spanish poetry, a sentiment echoed by the Association of Friends of Vicente Aleixandre (AAVA).
Sánchez criticises, “We cannot sit by and allow Vicente Aleixandre’s house to be caught in the crossfire of its conservation dispute and indifference towards its legacy in the face of institutional neglect.” He proposes that, apart from ensuring its protection and conservation, the house could be repurposed as a ‘House of Poetry’ to serve as a “centre for the study, documentation, and promotion of contemporary Spanish poetry.”
“SPECULATION” WITH VELINTONIA
Podemos raises concerns that the auction “increases the chances of speculation” about the property, posing a threat to the house and its inherent and symbolic nature. They also highlight that the Velintonia property is described as a property “free of any encumbrance, despite the evident state of decay evident in the sunken roof covering.” This, they argue, could constitute “a serious irregularity” in a public document.
Earlier in the week, relatives of Vicente Aleixandre claimed that “no organisation or Public Administration” has reached out to them with an interest to acquire Velintonia, the writer’s home that is currently up for public auction for a price of 4.5 million euros.
They added that any public body is welcome to participate in the auction “on equal terms with any other bidder.” They pointed out that “The sale of the property in a public judicial auction was already communicated to the corresponding organisations at the time, without anyone expressing their intention to acquire the property,” emphasising that the auction is in “faithful compliance” with a court ruling.
CULTURE “STUDIES” IT
The family members also noted that any negotiations or arrangements that may have been pursued by a specific association or group were carried out without their consent or knowledge. In the meantime, sources from the Ministry of Culture informed Europa Press on February 6 that they were “studying” the request of the Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council to buy the house of the poet Vicente Aleixandre in Madrid.
The auction, as per an edict accessed by Europa Press, has set a period of 20 days for the receipt of bids. The document also stipulates that bids lower than 3.1 million euros, an amount equivalent to 70% of the appraised price, will not be accepted.
