Carrer de Sant Josep, 9
One of Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s most prominent concerns as a municipal architect between 1892 and 1896 was the health and well-being of the people of Mataró, which is why he planned the construction of La Beneficiència.
The institution was founded as a charity home to house orphaned girls and women with difficult livelihoods. It also operated as a school for children from disadvantaged families in the city.
The building was erected in the courtyard of the former Old People’s Home inside the Convent of the Carmelites of Sant Josep. The L-shaped building comprises a ground floor, a first floor and attic, and has access to a small courtyard that gives onto Carrer de Sant Josep.
The architectural composition of the building and the entrance hall are inspired by medieval Catalan architecture. The austerity of the façades is broken by the addition of exposed brick, blue glazed tiles, Gothic windows and worked stone decoration.
One detail. In the corner is a pedestal designed to support the figure of a guardian angel, which is no longer there, crowned with a Gothic pinnacle. But look at the figures in the base: a dragon, an eagle and a jester protecting a bag of money with his body. Funny, isn’t it?
The building, which was restored in the 1980’s, is now the headquarters of the Municipal Board of Culture of Mataró.
