Travelling along the A-377 between Sabinillas and Manilva, it’s impossible not to notice the striking white house that rises above the roadside, an elegant and unmistakable landmark known today as Villa Matilde. Its arches, terraces and distinctive silhouette have drawn curious glances for generations. Yet older residents often remember the property by another name: María Teresa. Only in recent decades has the house come to be known locally as Villa Matilde.
With its centenary arriving in 2025, the story of this singular building leads us deep into the history of one of Casares’ most influential families: the Infante Pérez.
A Summer Residence with a Family Legacy
Villa Matilde owes its name not to its builder but to Matilde Merlo Ordoñez, wife of Ignacio Infante Pérez de Vargas—brother of the celebrated jurist, reformer and Andalucista thinker Blas Infante, often honoured as the “Father of Andalusian Identity.” After completing his law studies and serving as a judge in Córdoba, Ignacio spent time in Villanueva de los Infantes, where he met and married Matilde, an educated and devout young woman whose name would later grace the family’s summer residence in Manilva.
According to research by Manilva’s official chronicler, Marcos Vázquez Candiles, Ignacio purchased the plot in 1925 from the Sociedad Industrial y Agrícola de Guadiaro. The land had previously formed part of two conjoined estates. Although tax records document nearby rural constructions between 1920 and 1923, no building resembling Villa Matilde appears in those years. This strongly suggests that the villa was built between late 1923 and early 1925, with Ignacio as its promoter.
Family photographs from the 1930s and 40s show Ignacio, Matilde and their children on the villa’s steps and gardens, enjoying what had clearly become a cherished seasonal retreat.
Casares: The Roots of an Influential Lineage
The Infante Pérez family was already well established in Casares long before Villa Matilde existed. Ignacio and Blas were the sons of Luis Infante Salas and Ginesa Pérez Romo, who married in 1884. Both came from prominent landowning and administrative lineages. Their union formed what historians describe as a “strategic consort alliance,” reinforcing economic stability and expanding the family’s influence.
Blas was born in 1885 and Ignacio in 1887, growing up during a time of political, economic and social turbulence in Andalucía. Their upbringing—deeply tied to rural life, public schooling and local traditions—shaped their intellectual and ethical foundations. While Blas went on to lead a movement that profoundly influenced modern Andalusian identity, Ignacio pursued a quieter but distinguished judicial career.
Ignacio Infante: The Quiet Architect of Villa Matilde
Though overshadowed historically by his esteemed brother, Ignacio’s own life was marked by professional achievement and public service. He began working at the Casares courthouse before completing his legal studies and serving in judicial posts in Zaragoza, Guadalajara and later Málaga and Alcalá de Henares.
Ignacio and Blas remained closely connected throughout their careers; Ignacio even helped his brother prepare for judicial examinations. During the Second Republic, Ignacio—though politically moderate—stood as a candidate for the Andalucista movement, promoting a vision of constitutional reform and regional autonomy.
The upheavals of the Civil War brought administrative sanctions common among jurists of the period, though Ignacio was reinstated in 1947. He retired in 1961. His wife Matilde passed away in 1941, leaving him with five children, but Villa Matilde continued to be a source of warmth and continuity for the family.
Restoration and Rebirth
In recent years, Villa Matilde has been carefully restored by the Manilva Town Council, a project aimed at safeguarding the building’s heritage while giving it new life as a cultural space. The restoration respected the villa’s original architectural language, reviving its elegant lines and ornamental details, and breathing new vitality into its gardens. The result is a building that once again conveys the dignity and character it held during the Infante family’s time.
A Cultural Centre for Modern Manilva
Today, Villa Matilde stands proudly as one of Manilva’s key cultural venues. It hosts art exhibitions, workshops, lectures, local heritage events and community gatherings. Its rooms, once filled with the laughter of the Infante children, now echo with artistic creativity, public life and cultural exchange.
Far from being a relic of days gone by, Villa Matilde has become a living part of Manilva’s social landscape—a bridge between past and present. As it enters its second century, the villa continues to enrich the town’s identity, reminding residents and visitors alike of the history that quietly watches over the road between Sabinillas and Manilva.
