Villa Maria Mansion - Willemstad, Curaçao
Posted by: 
denben
N 12° 06.419 W 068° 55.947
19P E 507350 N 1338384
Villa Maria Mansion is located next to the Curacao Maritime Museum, at 6 Van Den Brandhoestraat in Willemstad, Curacao.
Waymark Code: WMZT8N
Location: Curaçao
Date Posted: 01/01/2019
Views: 7
The plaque reads:
"Van Den Brandhoestraat 6 Villa Maria
History
The Villa Maria Mansion was built by Dr. David Ricardo and is quite probably named after his wife Miriam de Jongh. Mr. Ricardo was a dentist and oral surgeon on the island and built this house for his family. The mansion was built between 1885 and 1888. It kept its original function as a house (dwelling) till the sixties when Hotel Caracas was established in the building. In 1998 it was bought by the Stichting Monumentenzorg Curaçao, which restored the property and protected it from further deterioration. Also the interior has been returned to its original state as much as possible.
Description
Villa Maria is built in the so-called neo-Greek style, a neo-classicist architectural style from the 19th century with characteristic elements of Greek architecture. The entrance with free standing Doric columns topped by a tympanum and the vertical decoration on the wide gutter board remind us of a Greek temple. The paired louvered windows with semi-circular glass tops and the corner stones were often used on the island in the neo-classical period. The steep marble stairs give the building a monumental appearance. The case-iron gate at the front bears the name of this mansion 'Villa Maria'."
Group that erected the marker: Stichting Monumentenzorg Curacao
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
6 N. van Den Brandhofstraat
Willemstad, Curaçao
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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