Casa Republicana Colombia's Belle Epoque

The Colombian home during the Republican era is a world yet to be discovered. It fails to present an entirely clear image to the public, and, in order to acquire knowledge on the subject, one would have to resort to specialised studies on the history of Colombian architecture. The strong presence of the Colonial house in cultural imagery puts the Republican dwelling in the background, where its main characteristics become blurred. However, the presence of Republican home architecture in Colombia is much stronger than generally believed, as it spans an epoch ranging from the proclamation of the Republic, after the country won its independence from Spain, to the dawn of modernism, which reached our shores in the thirties. In towns and villages, there are entire districts formed by Republican houses, some well-preserved, others being torn down to make way for the construction boom. Many of its architectural and ornamental aspects have lingered on fragmentarily in people's memory, and period furniture is now a prized booty for antique hunters. This book reinstates the image of the Republican home as a composite of architecture, ornamentation, furniture and objects, which created beautiful and charming domestic environments, designed for something more than comfort. In each part of the country, the Republican home turned out with a difference, with a strong character of its own. The Republican home was an accomplishment to which many a creator contributed and not necessarily the hand of the architect. The book bears witness to a moment in Colombian history, and also pays tribute to hundreds of craftsmen, most of them unknown, who contributed with their talent and skill to create the domestic environments presented here.Roa, Alberto Saldarriaga is the author of 'Casa Republicana Colombia's Belle Epoque' with ISBN 9789589393079 and ISBN 9589393071.