NUINT

2009

 


That complex of buildings is located in the same place where it was the old medieval Sitges hospital. Some of the elements of that old construction as certain gothic arches still being part of the new construction.
In 1912 the millionaire Charles Deering starts with the help of Miquel Utrillo i Morlius (engineer) the construction of Maricel Palace in order to assure the conservation of his art collections. Deering bought the houses in both sides of the street and arranged the buildings sea side as  his residence. That building has a tower with embattlements named Torre de Sant Miquel (Saint Michael tower), and a bridge over the street communicating both sides of palace.
The main gate of Maricel de Terra (Land section of palace) has an impressive staircase leading into the Gold Room (the main room) and through that to the Blue Room. Above that rooms are the cloister with a fantastic view on the sea.
The decorative elements of façades are in part taken from other places and in part commissioned by Deering to artists and manufacturers of Sitges or Barcelona, as Pere Jou an sculptor who make the capitals of windows.
The sea side of Maricel is today a Museum  housing the art collection of Charles Deering. The land side buildings are used as an events center.
Perhaps Maricel is closer of Noucentisme that of Modernisme (Art Nouveau), but the ideas inspiring it are the same sustained by
Art Nouveau artists as Rusiñol, Casas, Utrillo and others being part of Sitges group.