Page 72 - HOSPES DREAMS Summer

Gijón Symbol of the Spanish culture and a
scenery for distinguished gatherings
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e Café Gijón is a historical place that has become a true institution in Spain. It was founded in 1888 by Mr. Gumersindo García, who named his co ee shop a er his home city. Located in the Paseo de Recoletos (Madrid), between the Cibeles fountain and the Colón Square, the co eehouse was divided into two areas: the cafe itself and the coach house, where the clients’ carriages were stored. What its rst owner couldn’t imagine was the fame and prestige that the Café Gijón would reach worldwide.
In 1914 the co eehouse was sold to Mr. Benigno López Jabato, a barber from Extremadura who made refurbishments and extended it, apart from decorating its main façade. At this time, notorious writers such as Pérez Galdós, Valle-Inclán or Jacinto Benavente used to meet at the cafe. Beningno’s widow took over the business and the Café Gijón lived its most glorious years under her guidance. Later, her daughter María López Fernández, attracted a distinguished clientele that wrote in gold letters the story of this cafe with their gatherings.
Artists and poets such as García Lorca, Dalí, Buñuel, Sorolla, Benlliure, Rubén Darío, Arniches, Jardiel Poncela, Celia Gámez or Mercedes Fornica lled the Café Gijón with life. A er the Spanish Civil War, the café brought together the principal gures of the literary movements, from Camilo José Cela to Buero Vallejo or Gerardo Diego.
In the 50’s, the Café Gijón became a true cultural symbol, and intellectuals, musicians, actors and erudites would gather at the cafe, at the time when Benigno’s
grandchildren run the business and modernised it adding large mirrors. In 1963, a new refurbishment included a restaurant on the ground oor called La cripta embrujada ( e haunted crypt), which showed a remarkable architectural work that covered the basement with American oak wood.
In 1997 the Café Gijón changed hands, and now Mr. Gregorio Escamilla runs the business along with his children. Times and circumstances have changed, but the history of the Café Gijón will always be present in dozens of books, lms, and paintings that bear testimony of its glorious past. www.cafegijon.com
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1 Main façade of the Café Gijón.
2 Commemorative plaque on the
occasion of its 100th anniversary
3 Interior of the Café Gijón,
the most emblematic cafe of Spain.
Café