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A big shadow ...

Published: 02.04.2025

translated: the whim of Cotrina – by Francisco Gonzáles Grajera, a hidden gem for visitors of Zafra. The Capricho is a country house unlike any other in the world and now houses a museum. The trained stonemason poured all the imagination into this construction that fell short in his professional career. He started in 1988 and dedicated every minute of his free time to shaping his fairy tale castle. Standing before it and calmly letting your gaze wander over this work of art leaves one only able to shake their head in disbelief at the incredible attention to detail and immense creative power of this man.</p><p style='color:rgb(0, 0, 0)'>In 2006, the city administration of Los Santos de Maimona thought it wise to demand qualifications from Grajera that would certify him as an architect or engineer. He, of course, did not possess these, as he had left school at the age of 13. He had to stop his work. Naturally, he continued to build in secret, and when a new city administration lifted all bans in 2011, he set to work with renewed vigor. But before he could complete his life's work, Gonzáles Grajera unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2016. His son Roberto continued the work in the spirit of his father and completed the project.</p><p style='color:rgb(0, 0, 0)'>By the way: In a roundabout in the city center today stands a monument for “El Capricho de Cotrina” and its creator. The people in the city administration have seemingly recognized that the visitors who come to Los Santos de Maimona today owe it primarily to their Gonzáles Grajera … </p>
translated: the whim of Cotrina – by Francisco Gonzáles Grajera, a hidden gem for visitors of Zafra. The Capricho is a country house unlike any other in the world and now houses a museum. The trained stonemason poured all the imagination into this construction that fell short in his professional career. He started in 1988 and dedicated every minute of his free time to shaping his fairy tale castle. Standing before it and calmly letting your gaze wander over this work of art leaves one only able to shake their head in disbelief at the incredible attention to detail and immense creative power of this man.</p><p style='color:rgb(0, 0, 0)'>In 2006, the city administration of Los Santos de Maimona thought it wise to demand qualifications from Grajera that would certify him as an architect or engineer. He, of course, did not possess these, as he had left school at the age of 13. He had to stop his work. Naturally, he continued to build in secret, and when a new city administration lifted all bans in 2011, he set to work with renewed vigor. But before he could complete his life's work, Gonzáles Grajera unexpectedly died of a heart attack in 2016. His son Roberto continued the work in the spirit of his father and completed the project.</p><p style='color:rgb(0, 0, 0)'>By the way: In a roundabout in the city center today stands a monument for “El Capricho de Cotrina” and its creator. The people in the city administration have seemingly recognized that the visitors who come to Los Santos de Maimona today owe it primarily to their Gonzáles Grajera … </p>
A big shadow ...
A big shadow ...
A dream: “El Capricho de Cotrina”.
A dream: “El Capricho de Cotrina”.
An outbuilding – no less beautiful than the main complex.
An outbuilding – no less beautiful than the main complex.
In the 'Wurm', the bedrooms were originally located.
In the 'Wurm', the bedrooms were originally located.
Francisco Gonzáles Grajera – an artist par excellence.
Francisco Gonzáles Grajera – an artist par excellence.
Hours are necessary to see all the refinements of the entire construction.
Hours are necessary to see all the refinements of the entire construction.
The number of tile fragments used here must be in the millions.
The number of tile fragments used here must be in the millions.
Drive
Zafra → … → Mérida
60 km
Attraction
El Capricho de Cotrina
Los Santos de Maimona, Spain
Museum
El Capricho de Cotrina
Los Santos de Maimona, Spain
Worth seeing
Los Santos de Maimona
Los Santos de Maimona, Spain
Worth seeing
Mérida
Mérida, Spain

Medina. The day began with bad news: Grandpa Willi passed away this morning. The father of Icke's first husband Ingo and the grandfather of their shared children Christoph and Tanja had been seriously ill for a while; nonetheless, the shock and pain dug deep inside. Willi was a funny, helpful, and sociable person who enjoyed drinking beer and passionately supported FC Bayern Munich. Everyone loved him. This naturally casts a shadow over our journey. 

We took it slow today. Our destination was Merida, about 60 kilometers from Zafra, where we are now parked on a city site in pouring rain this evening. On our way, we wanted to stop by Los Santos de Maimona to pick up our next stamp.

That went quickly, and so we still had time to check out

At a glance

Automatically extracted from the post
Mood
CulturalOff the beaten trackRelaxing
Highlights
  • El Capricho de Cotrina in Los Santos de Maimona
  • Stempel in Los Santos de Maimona
  • Ankunft in Mérida bei strömendem Regen
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Road tripCultureStory
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