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Discover Casa de los Gatos in the El Carmen district, Valencia

In the enchanting El Carmen in Valencia, Spain, you will find a unique place: Casa de los Gatos, also known as La Gatera del Barrio del Carmen. This special miniature house serves as a home for the cats of the popular Carmen neighborhood in the historic center of the city. The house is managed by the cat rescue association El Sindigato.

Craftsman and sculptor Alfonso Yuste Navarro

Although the cats have been moved to a safer area nearby, the popular entrance is retained for everyone’s enjoyment. The house was created by the craftsman and sculptor Alfonso Yuste Navarro, who designed the façade of this house in 2003. The felines referred to in the work have inhabited this place since 1094. The entrance to this cottage is functional, and the opening allows the cats that apparently live in the adjacent plot to walk in and out easily. This small work of art is nothing more than a luxury cat house for the cats of the neighborhood.

The sculpture of Casa de los Gatos

The sculpture of Casa de los Gatos consists of a three-storey façade along with a flower box, which creates the visual effect of a balcony or patio. The work is elaborated in detail: the door with its heraldic coat of arms, the windows (one of which shows the photograph of Charlie Chaplin), the staircase, the fountain, the roof, a “fire insurance” panel, but the most striking is the inscription at the top of the fountain.

Tribute to the ‘Four Cats’

Alfonso Yuste’s sculpture pays homage to “the four cats”, as the inscription reproduces. The inscription referring to the year 1094 is a tribute to a legend about “the four cats”. According to this legend, during the period of El Cid Campeador, Christians believed that cats were supernatural beings that brought bad luck. After the conquest of Valencia in 1094, El Cid reportedly ordered the disappearance of all cats in the city. Despite this attempt, four cats survived the incident, and this event was later commemorated.

There are some misconceptions about the history of Casa de los Gatos. The house has not always been in the same location, but was originally built across the street and was later moved by Alfonso Yuste Navarro with the permission of the local residents. Although the sculpture is signed by Yuste, the original creators of the cottage and the surrounding artwork were the people behind the old craft shop at number 6 of the same street.

The origins according to Yuste

In some interviews, Yuste, an artisan and sculptor, has stated that he got the idea for Casa de los Gatos after years of seeing cats coming through a hole in his workshop.

Alfonso Yuste Navarro

Would you like to see this, perhaps the smallest attraction of Valencia, for yourself? You can find Casa de los Gatos at number 9 of Calle del Museo, near the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC).