Barcelona’s historic El Ingenio shop, an emblematic former establishment in the Gothic Quarter, will become the new headquarters for the Barcelona Nativity Scene Makers Association. This significant move, confirmed by the Ajuntament, secures a permanent home for Europe’s oldest nativity scene association. Relocation is anticipated by early 2027.
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Culture Councillor Xavier Marcé informed Tot Barcelona that the association will relocate from its current premises at Carrer de Lledó, 11. This address is also within the Ciutat Vella district. The municipal property at Carrer de Rauric, 6, will transform into an interpretation centre for nativity scene making. This new facility aims to become “the head and capital” for nativity scene making in Catalonia, according to Josep Porta, President of the Barcelona Nativity Scene Makers Association.
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Mr Porta detailed that the new centre will feature a meeting room, a workshop, and dedicated exhibition spaces. Additionally, the Catalan Federation of Nativity Scene Makers, currently sharing the Carrer de Lledó address, will also move to El Ingenio. This consolidation will create a central hub for the art form.
A New Home for Nativity Scene Art
The relocation addresses the association’s precarious situation at its current site. Mr Porta explained, “We have a rental of spaces, but we do not have a commercial contract. As we are, we do not have guaranteed perpetuity.” The Ajuntament’s proposal therefore offers much-needed stability and a long-term solution.
El Ingenio, a shop renowned for its giants and big-heads, operated from 1885 until its closure in 2020. The Ajuntament acquired the property in 2021 as part of the “Amunt Persianes” programme. This initiative, under the former Ada Colau government, purchased 50 ground-floor commercial premises for 16 million euros.
The building, architecturally protected, currently shows signs of degradation and graffiti. This mirrors the condition of other historic Gothic Quarter establishments, such as the former El Indio shop. Renovation works are underway, with aluminosis detected, according to Councillor Marcé.
El Ingenio’s Rich History
Benet Escaler i Ullastre, a tailor and sculptor, opened El Ingenio in 1885. He constructed and sold “giants, big-heads, and Carnival objects,” as documented on Barcelona’s emblematic establishments website. Escaler introduced the cartó pedra (papier-mâché) technique to Catalonia after encountering it at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition.
The workshop produced some of Catalonia’s most famous big-heads and giants, including the Macers de Mataró. The Escaler family managed the business until 1924. Delfí Homs i Furnell then took over, initially attempting religious imagery before reverting to the original activity.
Josep Cardona, Delfí Homs’s son-in-law, managed the shop for forty years from the 1940s. His daughter, Rosa Cardona, continued the legacy from 1984 until her retirement in 2016. Subsequent attempts by El Rei de la Màgia and businessman Lluís Sala to revive El Ingenio were unsuccessful.
Before the Ajuntament’s acquisition, El Ingenio was listed for sale at 1.7 million euros or 8,500 euros per month for rent. The property boasted 476 square metres, a twelve-metre façade with three display windows, high ceilings, and late 18th-century architectural elements.
Architectural Heritage and Future Plans
The building’s architectural protection necessitates careful renovation. A notable wooden fixture adorns the entrance, featuring moulded coffers and pilasters framing display cases. Carved cartouches support a lintel, with the establishment’s name inscribed in wooden characters.
Inside, the shop retains antique display furniture, a counter with a glass cabinet, drawer units, an old cash register, and the original mosaic floor. A significant piece of heritage, Joan Brossa’s visual poem “Lletres gimnastes,” created in 1997, was removed by Rosa Cardona in 2023 to protect it during potential façade renovations.
An Ajuntament sign indicates rehabilitation for new activities, with a projected completion date in the fourth quarter of 2026. Mr Porta anticipates the association’s move will occur in early 2027, following delays in the construction schedule due to unforeseen issues. The Ajuntament and the association are finalising the agreement, which Mr Porta suggests could be a cession of use.
The re-opening of El Ingenio has received strong support from Barnacentre, a commercial association representing nearly a thousand establishments. Isabel Rodríguez, Barnacentre’s manager, highlighted Carrer de Rauric’s “extraordinary cultural vitality” in the past. She expressed hope that El Ingenio’s revitalisation will contribute to recovering this vibrancy for the Gothic Quarter and its residents.
Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.
