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From farm house to church to village school to home
"La Escuela", which means "The School" in Spanish, was originally a farm house. The 9,040 m2 (2.25 acres) of fertile soil laid out in terraces around the house were used for agricultural purposes. Almond trees are still there on the borders of the several terraces.
In the first half of the twentieth century the house was used as the local church. It also served to hide people who had fled persecution during Franco's regime. The little statue of the Virgin Mary in an alcove in the dining area is a small reminder of that special time.
Latterly, the building was used as the local school. However, following Franco's death, most of the young left the village and the school fell into disuse.
The house had been empty ever since, until Adrian and Sigrid Verhoeff (a Dutch couple) bought the house, stripped it down, and rebuilt it. The restoration was carried out with a lot of love, preserving as many of the original features as possible. The gorgeous stone floor, the beamed ceiling and the antique fire place in the dining room are just a few examples.
Because of all this, "La Escuela" is a home with a very special atmosphere, far away from all the pressures of today's speedy modern society.
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