Santander. Post office building (Delegación de Correos en Santander)

Located on Alfonso XIII square, the building of the post office (on the map) - one of the best examples of the style, typical of the Cantabrian architecture of the early 20th century, dubbed "regionalista montañés" which can be translated as "mountain regionalism" (the area in which are the cities of Santander, Castro Urdiales, Laredo and San Vicente de La Barquera NICU the name "mountains of Santander").

At the beginning of the 20th century, the post office of Santander, subordinate to the main office in Burgos, received the status of an independent one. In 1915, construction of the post office began.

The building, called the Palacio de Comunicaciones (Palace of communication), was designed by architects Secundino Suazo and Eugenio Fernández Quintanilla. The Grand opening took place on November 7, 1916.

During a catastrophic fire on February 15-16, 1941, which almost completely destroyed the old part of the city, the Palace of communications miraculously survived, although it lost some elements of decoration.

By the end of the 20th century, Santander had grown significantly and in 1981 branches were opened at RENFE station and in two other areas of the city. Then there was an opportunity to carry out a large-scale restoration of the old building, returning it to the appearance of the beginning of the 20th century.

This wooden loggia on the back facade I found during an evening walk.

To the right of the main portal is a gallery, on the inner wall of which there are monumental mailboxes made in the form of animal heads.

In front of the building you can see a bust of king Alfonso XIII. Santander was a favorite summer destination of the monarch, which made the city a popular resort.