Posada del Meson - Cadiz - Andalusia

La Posada del Mesón is one of those magical places in the Barri del Populo.

The old inn Montesinos was replaced by a new one. The inn was consecrated in the 17th century under the name "Mesón Nou" . The building consists of a corridor or vestibule through which travelers' carriages probably entered and where they were "parked" in a portico of thick columns and lowered arches, surrounding a typical Andalusian courtyard , although some sources consulted suggest that it was more like a typical terrace. from La Mancha.

The facade, austere and simple, is baroque but does not show much, only the founding date of the inn, 1673. The patio has Castilian balconies and in the center the typical Cádiz fountain with smithy.
The upper floors were used to accommodate travelers visiting Cadiz, while the lower floors were stables and stables for horses and mules, and the inn.

Interestingly, the Posada del Mesón had various fees and payments that visitors had to pay if they wanted to stay or rest in the place. There were fees for feeding the beasts of burden , using the stables, and even cleaning the stables. Guests also had to pay various fees during their stay, such as room and board.

The Posada del Mesón was probably active until the early 19th century and was to take on its current character as a tenement house with Napoleon's invasion . Unfortunately, in the first third of the 20th century , the roof collapsed and the building was practically abandoned.

Unfortunately, the institutional neglect of the 1960s and 1970s was so impressive that the building fell into a deep state of disrepair, with landfills, old garbage dumps, the remaining roofs collapsing , and total lack of maintenance. With the discovery of the Roman theater it was believed that it would give the Posada del Mesón a new purpose. The building is used as the seat of a neighborhood association.

Willem Vandenameele