Fernando
de Vilallonga
The "devils" of Costa Brava
Fernando de Vilallonga, Empuria-brava
Urban planning and the urbanisation of Costa Brava have been one of the most important warhorses from our past, present and probably the future of our coasts. There has been an enormous variety of constructions made. From powerful skyscrapers in front of the sea, possibly due to the extremely high costs of the plots, to delicious residential areas meant for the privileged, which have charmingly adapted to their natural surroundings though, or even sometimes enhance nature despite its original beauty and charm, or even more, to recover areas that had been neglected from the start and devote them to tourism.
A few days ago, we were discussing with an Italian guest one of the urban developments of the Duce, which was the draining of the marshland surrounding Rome in order to end up with the mosquito plague of the eternal city. For that, they worked hard and even amazingly. In Costa Brava, without the need of a Duce, the truth is the most spectacular work, from the point of view of urban planning, also had to fight with the enemies of Rome, this is the mosquitoes. Clearly, that place was the area of the Gulf of Roses, between the beaches of Castelló d’Empúries and Roses, which had been the paradise for sea birds hunters, but had become an unhealthy and dangerous area for many reasons. The truth is way more than the imagination and creativity of a devils was needed in order to be able to use that huge marshland for urban and touristic purposes. However, with the power of imagination, a man from the shire of La Selva, undoubtedly with the help of many others, even though he has become the referent and representation of all of those who made the miracle of Empuria-brava possible, he could not be left out of the hall of fame of "devils" of Costa Brava. A project which is capable of changing geography must be an act of devils.
We know that the greatest passions of Fernando de Vilallonga were aeronautics, hunting and urban planning. Rank them in the order you prefer, add an exquisite sensibility for art and culture, devotion for the family and Girona, and our portrait, or at least our comments about our "devils".
Moreover, it looks like his objective has been to achieve those changes in the geography. A map of the Gulf of Roses, previous to our Civil war, shows, in the area we know as Empuria-brava nowadays, a swamp area which everyone in Girona knew was unhealthy, with millions of mosquitoes as its inhabitants, besides the hunters of ducks, waterhens among many other animals of the fauna in the area. Malaria and other swamp diseases figures were extremely high in that environment. Fighting that nature and changing it into one of the most important resorts of the peninsula was not only a devilish idea, it was also perceived as a crazy proposal by those who found out about it in its beginnings. Nevertheless, when the details of the project were revealed, it was considered even more stunning. The use of water as a great natural element was something unprecedented, despite Santa Margarita neighbouring works could be considered a precedent, due to its dimensions, not only in Costa Brava, but in the whole Mediterranean area at that time. Vilallonga was not the only "devils", but for Gironans or at least most of us, he has been the visible "devils", in relation to Empuria-brava, as he has been in another great urban quest, Montjuïc, which we will not be discussing here. Fernando Vilallonga, who came from rural origins in the shire of La Selva, has become a defining element of Costa Brava, as our "devils" started in Llançà with his first urban development professional experience.
A devilish idea
Thinking about recovering the marshland of Roses and transforming them into a first-class urban area of Costa Brava was certainly using a lot of imagination. Not only because of the concept of residential marina, as it was called, but also because of the details that were included and left out of the project. Starting with the buildings features, some of them, as the Yacht club, were authentic and definitive in the architecture of the coast, as the marina project itself, the dimensions and capacity of which are still stunning nowadays, but above all the canal network that leads to the main door of the villas already built there or to be built in the future. Therefore, Empuria-brava was exactly that, a dream or an idea. Reality is always slower.
Obviously, when the project was known and especially when it was finally going to happen, national envy appeared, and as a consequence the project became the target for all kinds of attacks. From personal attacks to our "devils" to urban planning ones at all levels and types. It was not possible that a Gironan could succeed at something. Mediocre people would not stop. They wanted to torpedo the idea, and it had to be then, since as it was coming true it would be more and more difficult to wreck.
Fortunately for Costa Brava, our "devils" was gifted with the double virtue of patience and tenacity. Empuria-brava emerged despite the enemies and became much more than one of those residential areas that crowd our coast. We are sure it still is a model of adaptation to the environment, of self-improvement and self-transformation which serves as the perfect example of what good urban planning can achieve no matter how difficult the area may be.
A work with affection
Obviously, Empuria-brava, as any other residential area, as all the endeavours carried out along the Costa Brava, chased an objective: economic benefits, without that as an objective, most of the works would have never been made. Nevertheless, as in the case of other many human activities, besides the profits and making a living as good as possible, it’s obvious that the work, the endeavours and the residential areas can be carried out from the business coldness or, on the contrary, by bringing a part of yourself onto them.
We honestly believe that is what has been done in Empuria-brava. We know Fernando de Villalonga enough to claim that is how he has lived his life. He may have suffered annoyance more than once because of that, he may have left tears of his soul in the above mentioned and still misunderstood projects like Montjuïc, but he has always been honest to himself, and not in vain he is a "devils" of friendship, because he knows how to give it, but even more importantly, he knows what he can get from his friends, who tend to be fewer than what one thinks he has.
Without that affection put on Empuria-brava by the "devils" Vilallonga and without these friends, more than partners, the project would hardly have moved forward, among so many reapers rising up, especially as the idea that had already been fought against was being defined.
No wonder when the "devils" of today contemplates the views of all that has been done in Empuria-brava, he should be allowed to get the warrior’s rest or the devil’s. But true warriors or devils never retire, surrender or ever get tired.
We are sure that in the mind of our "devils", ideas about other Empuria-bravas must be swarming, it’s just a matter of time for them to come out. We are before a lifelong "devils".
A series by: J. Víctor GAY
Pictures: Author's archive
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