Navia Casino and Fantasio Cinema
Chapter 5/11 · Navia
This is the Casino of Navia, built between 1919 and 1922 by the architect Benigno Rodríguez as the seat of a society founded by emigrants to America. They paid for it themselves with a subscription of more than 60,000 pesetas, a lot of money at the time.
The façade follows the model of Asturian palaces: a central section with a raised porch on pillars, reached by a flight of steps, three large oculi, that is, round windows, a gallery of tall windows and a curved cornice with Navia's coat of arms, all between two towers. After a thorough restoration, since 2018 it has hosted rehearsals of the choirs and of the traditional music school, dances and social events.
At the entrance there is a bust with a plaque that reads «The town of Navia to its benefactor Notary Rafael Calzada. 1821-1910». He is the father of the emigrant we mentioned before, the man who promoted the draining of the marshes, and the bust was unveiled on 15 August 1923.
Next to it is the Fantasio Cinema, built in 1943 for Bonifacio García Martínez. It is a block with modern lines and a few traditional ornaments, protected in the inventory of the cultural heritage of Asturias. After years closed, it reopened in 2020 as a municipal cinema, theatre and auditorium with 404 seats.
Now we take a few steps east to the Arias Palace.
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