Description
The house is a World Heritage Site (UNESCO), so with the help of an archaeologist they had to appeal to the Cultural Heritage Commission in order to restore it. The main restoration involved removal of the glazed tiles from the old walls, so the stone of the original walls became visible. Special care was taken with the back of the house, the oldest part of the building now a suite, with "a la porteña" roof. This can also be appreciated in the dining room wall niches, probably used for candles, and now holding an array of carved wooden figures. The idea was to ensure that most of the rooms had at least one of the original stone walls. The walls of Mi Santa hide years of history it was a restaurant called El Catalejo. Even before this, it was a home with the first property title dating from 1823, though it is probable that it was built at the end of the 1700's. In those days houses were registered later, years after the house was built. The patio has seen the footsteps of many generations, each one leaving their own mark, and many stories have been told within these walls. The present owners are also leaving their own stamp with a fountain in the patio emulating the old colonial style as well as the tradition of naming each bedroom. Three loved people are honoured here as well as Taco Larreta, one of the best examples of national theatre, visualizing the house as a 'a presidential box' commemorating his first theatre production performed in Uruguay. The dining room is the most cherished space in the house, and the one she values most. The wall niches add to the mystery of sitting in a XVIII century colonial house, with the floor lighting bathing the stone walls adorned with images of saints. Mi Santa is a dream come true. It is living history, imagining all that happened there in the times of the Banda Oriental. It is living some of the past today, with contemporary comforts.
