The genteel southern Spanish city of Jerez is certainly known for its fortified wine, in fact we Anglicized the city’s name to come up with our own word for the tipple, ‘sherry’, however, few also realize it’s the cradle and spiritual home of the gypsy-Andalucian art of flamenco. In order to redress this balance the Council of Jerez, in liaison with the Institute of Culture, is building its most ambitious project ‘La Ciudad del Flamenco’.
Chris Mercer, Director of Jerez property specialists Mercers, comments, “Although undoubtedly a classy city steeped in history and the scent of viticulture in the air, Jerez does have certain pockets within the ancient Andalucian walled medina that are not in the best state of repair. La Ciudad de Flamenco will be sited in Plaza Belén and serve the purpose of regenerating the San Mateo district which is equidistant between the two most important flamenco quarters in Jerez – Santiago and San Miguel. This cultural landmark will act as a magnet for tourists and also nudge up property prices in the immediate vicinity.”
La Ciudad del Flamenco, whose design has been awarded to Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, will quite literally be a city within a city. A walled garden with individual buildings hosting the National Flamenco Auditorium, School of Superior Studies in Flamenco, Flamenco Arts Research, Documentation Centre and Flamenco Museum. It will support and promote flamenco throughout the world and join Jerez’s already abundant flamenco offering from the Andaluz Flamenco Centre housed in an old ‘palacio’ with its library of 8,500 historic recordings and salons for exhibitions and concerts to the pure and authentic ‘peñas’ – Jerez’s popular flamenco clubs.
Mercers is promoting Casa Flores, a small and intimate development of 17 apartments and penthouses quite literally within a stone’s throw of La Ciudad del Flamenco in the San Mateo district. The existing corner-plot building will be modernized into a sympathetic project where owners can enjoy fully fitted kitchens with white goods, full length double glazed windows with shutters, Porcelanosa ceramic floor tiles and the pièce de résistance, a communal rooftop terrace complete with swimming pool and sublime views of Jerez’s Baroque-styled Cathedral. Bang in the centre of historic Jerez and with one of the few private rooftop pools in the city, Casa Flores is superb for holiday lets and likely to deliver good returns.
Prices start from 165,000 euros for a 70m² one bedroom apartment with €3,000 euro reservation deposit plus 10% on private purchase contract, 15% after three months and 75% upon completion scheduled for spring 2010 (or a mortgage subject to status).
Contact Mercers on 00 34 956 329 572, UK Local Rate 0845 017 7805, email jerez@spanishproperty.co.uk or visit www.spanishproperty.co.uk.
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