Casa Alva, Consuelo Vanderbilt's former home - Directorio Deco
The Palm Beach Post

Hace unos días, en el post que dediqué a Bernard Boutet de Monvel, os hablaba de su maravillosa y singular casa en Palm Beach, diseño del arquitecto Maurice Fatio. Pues bien, la entrada de hoy también tiene que ver con este prolífico arquitecto y otra de sus construcciones, Casa Alva. Construida en 1935 fue la residencia de Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan  y su segundo marido,Jacques Balsan, en Manalapan (Florida).

La casa contaba con maravillosos detalles como los azulejos portugueses de la loggia o las boiseries de los siglos XVIII y XIX en varias de las  habitaciones, las cuales habían sido rescatadas de iglesias, castillos y mansiones francesas.

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Palm Beach Post

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Palm Beach Post

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Palm Beach Post

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Palm Beach Post

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal

Casa Alva contó con visitantes tan ilustres como Sir Winston Churchill (primo del primer marido de Consuelo Vanderbilt, el 9º Duque de Malborough) , quien realizó varias pinturas de la casa.

Winston Churchill at Casa Alva (Consuelo Vanderbilt's home in Florida)
The Palm Beach Post
Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. Painting by Winston Churchill
The Palm Beach Post.

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal

 

Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Wall Street Journal
Casa Alva, the former home of Consuelo Vanderbilt. Designed by Maurice Fatio
The Palm Beach Post
Casa Alva, built in the mid-1930s for Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan. It was designed by Maurice Fatio.
The Palm Beach Post

Tras la muerte de su esposo , en 1957 Consuelo Vanderbilt vendió la casa  a Bill Benjamín (alcalde de Manalapan de 2002 a 2008) quien transformó la casa en club social y posteriormente convirtió en vivienda.

Casa Alva fue vendida nuevamente en 2012.

 

Gloria González

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