Círculo de la Amistad

The ‘Casino’ or ‘Círculo de la Amistad’ is a former convent-hospital that belonged to the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God Order and is annexed to the still functioning San Juan de Dios Baroque chapel. Many of Juan Valera’s characters would sit around debating the subject of the hour in its patio.

We can find a fantastic description of it in his work Pepita Jiménez: “The centre of the concurrence was the patio, paved with marble, with a fountain in the centre, and many plant pots.”

A painted tile in the patio commemorates the writer and while touring the house, we can admire paintings of his family. There is also a small museum on Costumbrismo, the artistic movement present in Valera’s works.