This is a story spanning the last 36 years. We, as members of this community, are looking back on more than half of our lives so far. We’re examining old slides before they, too, find their place as time capsules in our current construction sides (like Casa Pachamama and La Osa Mayor).
Even though there’s a risk of romanticizing history, overestimating our own contributions, and making our actions seem greater than they actually were, it makes sense to look back to recognize patterns. These patterns allow us to draw conclusions about the present, and therefore also about the future.
It’s always good to look back on history, if you have one.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – on the way to Padua
Petra was the first young woman to travel to us without a partner. She belonged to the new generation of self-confident women. She had studied social work and was about to start her first job. She had previously worked in the prison system during her training.
Petra was fit, strong, and wanted to do physical work. She carried sacks of cement (which weighed 50 kg back then) and climbed aluminum ladders with full buckets of mortar. We perceived Petra as a very social and very tough, but also very fair person. We would have loved to invite her to our upcoming anniversary celebration in May 2027. Unfortunately, we lost touch. But we are working on it.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – living room
During that time, we lived in a 44-square-meter apartment in a multi-family building in Cologne. CASAdelDRAGON seemed like an enormous structure to us, and we wanted to build a large, bright living room. It was to be a space that truly felt at home, open and perfect for gatherings and cozy evenings by the stove in winter.
Demolishing the old roof was one of the first major construction tasks. From the first hammer blow to laying the last floor tile on the terrace, seven weeks were planned; there was no plan B.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – laurentius is waiting
The damaged facade had to be dismantled down to the first floor. We only found solid ground for the reconstruction at a height of 3 meters above street level. We had waited three years before starting this phase of construction. First, we had to find suitable windows for the building. We obtained over 20 old oak windows from a carpentry workshop in Germany. Two were intended for the kitchen. We built the reinforced panels using rebar donated by a scrap metal dealer.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – Henk back than
We collected most of the donated building materials in Germany. Then we transported them to Cervera del Maestre in old vans and buses. The neighbors were a bit puzzled. Every year we arrived with a “new” car. And it was always packed with modern building materials. We must have come from a very wealthy country. What they didn’t know was that the building materials were unloaded from containers at construction sites and that we acquired cars at the end of their lifespan, cars that certainly wouldn’t pass a vehicle inspection again.
The concrete mixer was a gift from my friend Henk. He had already built several houses with it. It was intended as a replacement for a used one that had suffered bearing damage after a short time and was no longer usable.
The old wooden ceiling beams were so riddled with woodworm that restoration didn’t seem worthwhile. We didn’t want to use poisons against these insects.
The niche had previously been used as an inlet for chicken feed. Where the living room was supposed to be, there was a very low room under the roof, and the previous owners had kept chickens there.
During the initial construction phase, every newly built room had to be used. Anything not slated for demolition the next day was immediately put to use. We lived on our construction site for 20 years. What was later intended to be the kitchen was used temporarily as storage and sleeping quarters. Space was always a scarce commodity in those days.
The large mosaic in the kitchen is reminiscent of the ancient symbol of the Nordic seafarers. It depicts the sailors’ cycle of leaving port and returning. For many people, CASAdelDRAGON was a haven, a place to rest, recharge, stock up on provisions, gather ideas, and ultimately set sail for something new.
Some of these people returned often, others rarely, and some never.
They are all part of this story, and we hope they find their way back to enjoy with us what they have created.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – Joseph coming once
Gerald was one such person. He lived in a tiny apartment on a small aircraft airfield, subletting a room. He agreed to help with the arduous work of demolishing the roof and rebuilding the walls, and to stay until we could finish the new terrace.
He was very driven and hardworking. He was always one of the first at work in the morning. And it seemed almost strange to him that we also went to the seaside almost every day and wanted to enjoy our free time. We don’t know what became of him and his family. We wish he could return to the place where he worked and enjoy this building again.
We are currently digitizing a selection of slides. We will embed the originals in the foundations and walls of our current construction sites as time capsules. This will be, on the one hand, a liberation and a letting go of things, and on the other hand, perhaps a gift for a future finder. They, too, will be able to look back on the history of these structures and their builders. Whether this history—printed and published analogously—will stand the test of time, we don’t know.
We are slowly planning for 27th May 2027 – 40 years CASAdelDRAGON – 20 Years Gallery EL-DRAC – Inauguration of Casa Pachamama.
Looking back, one sees a lot of rubble and dust. The current images of these places tell little about their origins. What has accompanied us all these years could probably best be described as “construction dust.”
As a general pattern, one can assume that people gathered here who saw something that wasn’t yet there and made it visible to others by building it. Creating space for social interaction was and is the goal. That is our story.
It’s always good to look back on history, if you have one.
casadeldragon – memories 1990 – 2026 – the time machine
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – its all about love
This is a story about communication. The exchange of messages has always been a part of evolution. And the goal has always been to correctly determine their value and content. There have always been those who wanted to disrupt such communication for their own benefit, to block or falsify messages. This was, is, and certainly will not be limited to human existence. This is the story of communication within a community. And it is the story of communication among the people who participate in this community, among themselves and with others. And it is a story about communication with known communication partners in the here and now. And it is a story about communication with other communities, with guests who drop by as if by chance, and with communication partners whom one cannot possibly know, whose language one does not speak, and whose environment one cannot describe. Thus, it is also a story about communication across time and space. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – trencadis next time
When parents want to explain the world to their children, they resort to the means of communication. At first, we rely on scents and body language; later, facial expressions, speech, and eventually writing become essential. New forms are added: sound, music, photos, videos. Again and again, all the senses are engaged to receive the message, and then all cells are challenged to decode it. The bee, returning to the hive, advertises the new location where there is plenty of pollen to collect. The grandmother tells her daughter where the best mushrooms in the forest can be found. The hunter indicates it with a flicker of his eyes: Further to the left! The press release from one’s own government, the news from alternative media, the gossip at the bakery, the overturned trash can, the graffiti on the wall, the honking car—everywhere, communication is perceived and processed. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – informal learning
Modern societies are characterized by the fact that the effort required for decoding is increasing for each individual participant. It’s not just that the quantity of communication options is increasing, nor is it just that the demands on paying attention, listening, and being mindful of these pronouncements are also increasing. It’s becoming increasingly important to dedicate more processing time to decoding them. Beyond the question of the message’s content, further questions arise: Who sent this message? Who triggered this message? What are the aims of the trigger and the sender? What does it mean for me if I believe the message—without verifying it? What consequences would it have for me if this message were true? What was once known as the location of mushrooms in the forest is now becoming media competence. It’s essential for survival. And, as always, the man in the middle must not be neglected. A German chancellor once put it so aptly: “We cannot determine what happens. Our task is to determine what it means!” Communication is not value-free. Communication is propaganda, always. Even omission can lead to misuse: “The foreign national had pulled a knife… (in self-defense).” Repetition aids manipulation. And what exactly is a foreign national? In ancient Rome, a citizen was a free person who was allowed to carry weapons in public. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – digging for the future
The act itself is a form of communication. Architecture creates reality. One must then submit to it, or tear the whole thing down. Extending an invitation and cooking dinner are forms of communication, as is having cooked oneself or inviting someone to a bar. As social beings, we are inclined toward all these forms of communication. It seems that we want to reassure ourselves of our own existence by communicating with others and then calculating our own value, our position, and our sense of purpose from their reactions. The baby in the stroller smiles at you. You smile back. Communication is contagious, and it’s a joy to dominate it. The baby smiles even more.
Whether the war was a beautiful one or a Gallic one, we don’t know. But the victor writes history, and if necessary, rewrites it. Then he often commissions a book. “Do good and talk about it,” a politician once said. But what is good, and for whom, and at what cost to others? And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – the recycling loop
In our community, it’s noticeable that we rarely hold plenary sessions. Visitors find this strange. We don’t look for a formal framework to start a conversation. We’re always in dialogue anyway. Ants are always in dialogue, too. How should one imagine a plenary session among ants? Today is our plenary session. We have to participate. It’s about nonviolent communication. That’s important! Will you come along? It’s voluntary! We live sustainably, don’t shop at the supermarket, eat our homegrown vegetables, and don’t use pesticides or herbicides. We don’t fly. We travel by public bus or train. We are essentially self-sufficient. Saying or writing all of this is communication. But what does that mean? What is the value of this communication, based on the assumption of what the sender intends to achieve by describing and communicating all of this in this way? And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – another fix of a wall
We invite people to observe our coexistence in the community. Children learn by watching. They later experiment by imitating. Demonstrating doesn’t count. A child immediately recognizes whether an action is performed because the person acting is striving for the result and sees this action as meaningful in order to achieve the goal. If something is done simply to show that it can be done, it’s about power and the attempt to exert influence. That is the beginning of the end… of communication. The cave paintings in the area around Cervera del Maestre are written communication. They were addressed to the young hunters and served as a basis for planning strategy and hunting success. Today, one would use PowerPoint or a smartphone. When we visit these places today and marvel at how well-preserved the artifacts are, we establish a relationship that doesn’t arise objectively from the fact that we can recognize these drawings. We weren’t the intended audience. This communication wasn’t meant for us. We weren’t part of the observation. Sometimes we even assume communication where none exists. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – beauty and passion
The Americans were—perhaps—the first on the moon. They planted a flag. The Spanish had done the same in Central America centuries earlier. They aren’t exactly being praised for it. Will the same be true for the USA in the future? To interpret the planting of a nation’s flag as taking possession is interpretation. And interpretation is the subjective processing of information. And possession is not the same as ownership. Sometimes we communicate with ourselves or with avatars. We pick up a doll and explain our distress to it. We talk to the car and say: Please, start now! We send probes into space knowing that they will leave our own solar system. We attach tablets to these probes, with signs, symbols and graphs, organized in such a way that we believe they might be decipherable, allowing conclusions to be drawn about our existence and the origin of these probes. We choose gold as the material for these tablets. It is chemically inert. And it will last, perhaps. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – mercurius was here
My physics teacher was a fan of nuclear power, seeing it as the solution to all problems surrounding energy security and supply. I asked him: If we label the waste as harmful to humans, what do we write on the barrels we store in the salt dome for the next 1.5 million years? In 2027, we – as a community – will celebrate an anniversary. We will have been active in this village of Cervera del Maestre for 40 years. We have rebuilt houses there as well, we have created gardens, we have invited people to social events, and within our modest means, we have organized, funded, and fostered culture. With the La Osa Mayor project, we are building a symbol of humanity in community life. This is architecture, and therefore it is also communication. On the one hand, we communicate with each other within the community about this topic. On the other hand, we invite people to participate and create this place. On the one hand, we accept donations to carry out the project. On the other hand, we grant the usufruct of the La Osa Mayor patio to the community of people who live in this village and who visit it. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – message for the future
The most lasting and powerful form of communication is action. When I lay a stone, the message of the act becomes one with the act itself, and the laid stone is the lasting confirmation of that message. Children hear what their parents say and they watch what their parents do. In the end, what matters is what they do. Tomorrow’s children will visit La Osa Mayor. They will walk through a gate, see a garden, enjoy being together with others, and look at the walls with all their stones. They will wonder why this building exists, when and how it was built, by whom and with what intention, what message these builders had in mind. They will search the niches with their eyes, touch the stones of the facade, and ask the others in the patio. They may return and discover new things and clues. Some things may seem obvious, some unclear, some may remain hidden. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – celt-iberic signs
Some of these future visitors will feel the desire to have been there back then – during the construction. They will imagine what it must have been like for those who created this place, for future generations they couldn’t know, with whom they couldn’t communicate directly, and whom they couldn’t reward for building this patio. And there are those who read this article. They can still come to the Vineyard Road, to the mountain village in the Maestrazgo, to the land of the Celt-Iberians and all their descendants. They can lend a hand, help build and shape, become active, and communicate. And then, of course, there is also forgetting.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – brick layers first
This is a story about – and a little surprise for – Yuki. It’s also a story about Martin, Peter, Jady, Luciano, and all the other helpers who gather every Saturday in the Patio La Osa Mayor. It’s the story of a movement of people with the goal of making something happen. It is a story about the progress in a social space.
If you want something to become reality, feel what you will feel when it becomes reality. Juan Petry
This is a story for you if you no longer believe that your government has your best interests at heart, not now, not before, and not in the future. It is a story for you if you don’t wait for solutions, but take action yourself and feel the power within you to make a difference. It is a story for you if you can give without expectation and without worrying about your own gain. It is a story that many before you have written, and you are invited to become a part of it, whether as a silent observer or an active participant.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – donated scaffolding – thanks to peter and jady
Many years ago, I was invited to Timișoara in Romania. A sculptor friend showed me the people and the natural surroundings. Among other things, we visited a monastery in the mountains. The monastery was under construction, in the 21st century! Every evening, after a hard day’s work in the fields, the farmers from the village came and worked on the building for two or three hours. Everything was made by hand, just as it had been hundreds of years before. The farmers sang songs and were joyful. They knew they would have to do this for decades to complete the monastery buildings. Time somehow didn’t matter. The farmers received no wages. At the end of their work, they were given a hot meal and walked back to their village. This had been going on for several years, and it would continue for many more. I found this dedication to a cause very remarkable and was deeply impressed. The connection between the people and their joy was palpable.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – antje and the wooden beams from the color garden
The idea of creating a patio where people are equal, where humanity has ample space to flourish, likely originated in this observation of these happy people back then in Romania.
La Osa Mayor (LOM) will be a patio in the old quarter of Cervera del Maestre, where the houses were predominantly built from the rubble of the fortress after the Moors were expelled.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – luciano on stage – best morter ever
In this patio, we will build an open kitchen that will welcome visitors. Everyone who steps through the portal into the patio accepts one rule: Here, we are all equal! Just like at Epicurus’ garden gate, we can meet as equals among equals. That is what truly defines this social space.
Even during the construction phase, volunteers arrive and bring food or drinks, sharing these offerings with everyone else who has come that day to help build this patio. And so it will continue later on. One person brings wine, another water, one brings salad, another bread. It always comes together to create a special experience: the shared brunch after physical labor.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – the fourth bow
The vertical orientation of Gothic architecture is rich in symbolism. The striving for height and elevation were expressions of spiritual orientation. The facade of the La Osa Mayor is dominated by the four-part arch of the main portal. Everyone who looks at this entrance experiences a special feeling as they pass through these arches. And that is precisely the intention.
People from many countries have contributed to this facade. And many more will follow. Unlike the monastery in Romania, these people often don’t know each other and have never met before. They come together through the power of the idea of building such a social space. Often, one of the helpers continues a task that another had started weeks before.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – the castle stone
La Osa Mayor was a house on the street Las Parras, inhabited until about 1970, most recently by a single woman who often stood on the balcony watching the children play in the street. After that, the building fell into disrepair. First, cracks appeared in the roof, then water seeped in and destroyed the individual floors. The wet, termite-eaten beams ends could no longer bear the weight, and the building collapsed from within. Ivy spread, tearing down parts of the facade with its own weight. In the rubble, we found a remarkable stone. It was intricately carved and shaped like a house. Like many stones in the houses of the street Las Parras, this stone had likely been incorporated into the castle over 1000 years earlier. We gave this stone a place of honor on the facade, thus establishing a connection to the history of the village—then a town. History constantly opens and closes its circles. The stone, once a symbol of a military installation, becomes a structural element of the facade of a social space. This is reminiscent of “swords into plowshares” and this transformation is a recurring and necessary one.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – progress at the main facade
Houses like this one were typically inhabited by poor families with many children in earlier times. The choice of building materials for the walls, the wooden beams above the entrance doors, and the simple tiles under the balconies all offer insights into the builders’ living conditions. Often, these ordinary people didn’t even have glass windows in their shops. A simple wooden shed sufficed. Those who had to perform many hours of hard fieldwork each day wanted dark rooms and were content with very little light. One of these wooden sheds is incorporated into the facade of La Osa Mayor. It was also found in the rubble within the building and restored using simple methods.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – volunteers lend a hand
On the one hand, natural stone houses are very durable and robust. The mixture of natural stone, clay, loam, and lime provides both strength and flexibility. Natural stone houses don’t simply break apart or collapse. The stones can move within the walls, thus relieving tension over the years. A modern concrete wall would hold until it cracks. Then it would no longer be able to support anything.
On the other hand, a natural stone house requires regular maintenance. The clay plaster on the exterior is protected by a layer of lime. This needs to be repaired periodically. At La Osa Mayor, this hadn’t been done for over 55 years. In some places, the stones in the lower part of the facade are only loosely stacked on top of each other. The plaster is missing in many places, and with it, a secure bond between the stones.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – donation from martin
One day, our neighbor Martin stopped by. He listened to the story and the vision for the future of La Osa Mayor and spontaneously offered to take care of those sections of the natural stone walls. He suggested a lime plaster. This material has the advantage of being breathable, providing good waterproofing, and being easy to work with.
La Osa Mayor is a social hub for the residents of the street, the neighborhood in the village, and for all of Cervera del Maestre—its inhabitants and visitors.
Martin brought tools, expertise, and time. He even donated some money to buy the bags of lime. He said he would come the following Saturday to begin. And he did.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – roman style
La Osa Mayor is a private project. There is no public funding or government support. Therefore, financial resources are limited. La Osa Mayor is an investment in the quality of life of its visitors, not a commercial enterprise.
This makes it essential to seek cost-effective solutions. We consider the rubble pile inside the ruins a treasure trove. The treasures are the building materials stored there, which we salvage, process, and repurpose.
As with the Romans, everything is reused on-site. Energy is stored in all materials. Even the transport to the construction site is a form of stored energy. The more that can be reused, the better. Old concrete wall remnants are remixed and used to reinforce walls. What can be reused on-site doesn’t need to be transported away and doesn’t burden a landfill.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – another wall niche
Many niches are carved into the walls of La Osa Mayor. The facade, both inside and out, also offers space for the extraordinary. What was often the site of a religious sculpture at the entrance of the farmhouse in the past is now a recurring architectural element, celebrating and adorning the social space of La Osa Mayor. As a protected repository for what is considered precious, the niche also provides a space for contemplation. The many niches of La Osa Mayor invite discovery, reflection, and contemplation, encouraging meditation.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – the wooden enclosure in the facade
Above the main portal, two openings will face the visitor, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the right will usually—but not always—remain closed. The one on the left will offer a view into the interior of the patio. There will be something special to discover at both locations, but that’s another story.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – the key stone
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone at the apex of an arch . it is the final piece placed during construction and keeps all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight.
This stone originates from the Cervera dry riverbed. Over millennia, it has migrated from the upper Maestrazgo mountains, carried a little further by each flood. This wanderer through time now finds its place in the inner second arch. It greets the visitor and offers a final, upward glance as one bids farewell.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – repairing farm roads
When we began rebuilding CASAdelDRAGON almost 40 years ago, we removed a lot of rubble and soil from the old, damaged clay floors of the old house. With a small trailer and an old VW van, we drove to the village’s local landfill. On one of our first trips, a farmer stopped us and asked us to fill the dump trucks on the farm track instead of shoveling the load over the rubbish at the landfill. We were initially hesitant. It was a public road, and we were carrying private rubble. But the farmer calmly explained that this was the custom here. The people who use the farm tracks also take care of their upkeep. Our rubble contained no hazardous materials; it was just sand, clay, natural stones, and shards of pottery. This was good for the roads and the vehicles. And it would ultimately be good for the backs of the farmers on their tractors, too. We are now using the excess soil and clay from the La Osa Mayor fields to repair the farm tracks near our Color Garden. The heavy rains of the past few weeks had washed away much of the street materials.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – gaining height with the new scaffolding
When we started rebuilding the facade of La Osa Mayor, we didn’t yet know how we would be able to work at such heights. We looked for used scaffolding and found a supplier nearby. These scaffolds are currently being decommissioned and replaced with new ones. They are sufficient for our needs. It was a pleasure to erect this 4-meter-high scaffolding in front of the facade for the first time and then be able to work at a comfortable height. It’s good to be able to work in teams of at least two for this kind of work. It’s very tiring to have to constantly go up and down alone to bring in materials. Jardy and Peter donated one section to us. That was also a great help and will allow us to renovate and repoint the interior walls of La Osa Mayor in the future.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – Holle was here – also
Holle was very excited and delighted to learn how to build a brick wall with clay bricks. She had never done any bricklaying before. We chose a spot where she could stand safely and prepared the materials. So, on a Saturday, she built a good portion of the balcony’s jamb and cleaned the joints at the end of the day.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – quote from Gothic
The facade features another special niche, adorned with a small Gothic arch. The stones for the arch came from the beach at Vinaros. That’s another story. The last few stones were just enough for this small arch.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – Clay stones cut for a social space
Christian lives in Valencia. He discovered Cervera del Maestre as a place of community life. One Saturday, he came and patiently separated countless clay bricks. These bricks came from the demolition of a house and had been stored at the Color Garden for years. Now, these bricks, too, are finding a new, permanent home as part of the architecture of La Osa Mayor.
Christian didn’t just diligently separate bricks. He also used compressed air to clean the machines of the fine dust. People like Christian are invaluable to communities; they are autonomous, make their own decisions, and sustainably take on self-chosen tasks. People in communities are, in a sense, independent, entrepreneurs, researchers, pioneers. These entrepreneurial types long for people like Christian to visit, to become community founders themselves. This promises high-level cooperation. That’s also why the members of Familiafeliz regularly visit other communities. For their members, this is just as much of a gift.
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – working space inside old
Construction site logistics is a widely underestimated aspect of achieving the goals of a project like La Osa Mayor. Approximately 50% of the work is spent preparing everything so that the actual project – the results of which will ideally be visible in the architecture – can be carried out: delivery and storage of building materials, preparation, site setup (scaffolding), and transport to the site. This is a photo of the temporary scaffolding that served us well for four months (thanks to Dietmar, who helped to built it).
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – working space inside new
And this is the new framework for the coming working days.
The photos show the events of the last few weeks. The question remains: what exactly did Yuki build, and what is her statement?
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – the statement itself
In the ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang is the concept that there exist cosmic principles or forces that are opposite but complementary, which interact, interconnect, support and perpetuate each other very well. Yin and Yang together form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the interdependent components, and both parts are essential for the cohesion of the whole.
In Chinese mythology, the universe develops out of a primary chaos of primordial qi or material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and yang, force and motion leading to form and matter. Yin is retractive, passive, contractive and receptive in nature in a contrasting relationship to Yang that is repelling, active, expansive and repulsive in principle; this dichotomy in some form, is seen in all things in nature and their patterns of change, difference and transformations. For example, biological, psychological and cosmological seasonal cycles, the historical evolution of landscapes over eons. The original meaning of yin was depicted as the northerly shaded side of a hill and yang being the bright southerly aspect. When pertaining to human gender, yin is associated to more rounded feminine characteristics and yang as sharp and masculine traits.
The Yin-Yang symbol is engraved in a marble slab from Italy, rescued 40 years ago from a marble dealer’s shipping container in Siegburg Schreck near Cologne, Germany. The slab was stored for years at our German branch of the community and eventually found its way to the beginning of construction at CASAdelDRAGON in Cervera del Maestre. The symbol was painstakingly carved into the marble by hand over several days. However, no suitable permanent location could be found.
Now, almost 40 years later, Yuki has embedded it in the balcony recess. It was deliberately installed horizontally. Miraculously, it connects the interior and exterior of La Osa Mayor, and the location could not have been better chosen. The slab serves as a reminder that there is a connection between the inner world of this social space and the outer world. Both spaces are interdependent and form something much greater.
Yuki from Japan was here. She came to help on a Saturday. Her help was a gift without expectations. We accepted the gift. And Yuki built the niche around the marble tablet. She visits Europe. She visits La Osa Mayor.
Yuki is helping to write our story, through her actions. This can also be interpreted as a call to develop a synthesis of European culture and Asian wisdom; that would be helpful in these times. But that’s another story.
This is the continuation of the continuation of the continuation of a story that began long before our time and which we continued 40 years ago.
Athena always, always has a plan. Rick Riordan
This is the story of a house we’ve named Casa Pacha Mama, and for good reason. Like many houses in Cervera del Maestre, it’s built from the stones of the castle. It’s one of the more recent houses built after the expulsion of the Moors from Al-Andalus.
Athena is also the goddess and patron saint of craftsmen. The Casa Pacha Mama building bears the mark of many independent bricklayers and craftsmen and many volunteers who contributed to the project, making a statement. The house is a place of peace and community, a place of balance and well-being. It is dedicated to, and also a symbol of, a great love. But it is not only the love of one man for one woman; it is also the love of our community for this woman, who somehow and always brings everything together and holds it together. Thus, this house is an expression of this affection and an inspiration for all to take it as a role model.
And this too is a story within a story and a continuation of the story of a line of women in a family who have always been, and remain, somehow the center of attention and passion.
And it is also a story about the times we live in. And because Athena is also the goddess of wisdom, strategy, and warfare, it is also a story about these arts in these times.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – wooden cladding
Previously, Casa Pacha Mama was likely a steep staircase connecting two streets in the village, which was later built over and eventually converted into a small house. The house served for a long time as the home of a poor family. It had no glass windows, only simple wooden shutters. There was a rabbit hutch in the attic and a chicken coop on the first floor. The donkey stood next to its cart in the cellar. The family had a kitchen and a single bedroom on the ground floor. Instead of a toilet, there was a wooden hatch in the floor. A shelf with three amphorae and a cupboard in the corner were the only places to store food. There was no electricity or running water until 1987.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – gothic arc
All of that is a long time ago. Casa Pacha Mama was the second house we bought in the village. It was Antje’s house. She was skeptical at first and didn’t want to take on that risk in addition to CASAdelDRAGON.
But even back then, without considering a community, our stated goal was to make people independent, or rather, to support them in achieving greater independence. That remains a stated goal of our community today. Owning a home is an expression of this independence.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – chimney top
For the first few years, Casa Pacha Mama was used as a guesthouse for the people who helped us rebuild CASAdelDRAGON. We installed water and electricity and set up a small kitchen. We also had a toilet, a small sink, and a shower. There was only cold water. But at least there was water.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – second floor – living room
After deciding to convert the ground floor of CASAdelDRAGON into an art gallery, the plan was conceived to rebuild the house, utilizing all the building materials that were still stored on the ground floor of the Dragon House and no longer needed. This left three and a half years until the opening of the first exhibition to prepare the gallery and, beforehand, to install all the materials in Casa Pacha Mama (doors, windows, reinforcing steel, wooden beams, pipes, electrical wiring, etc.).
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – first floor – storage of ceramics
During this time, we only managed to complete the shell of the building. Interior work had to be put on hold. Our resources for construction were tied up elsewhere.
We had stored the floor tiles in the basement of the house for over 20 years. We had brought them from Valencia along with the tiles for the gallery in CASAdelDRAGON. At the time, we were traveling with our friends Inge and Henk DeRooij from Vinaros. We returned to Cervera del Maestre with three and a half tons of tiles in a trailer and some vans.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – screed
In 2023 and 2024, we continued the interior work. The spiral staircase, in particular, as the central element, determined all subsequent steps. The platforms at the top of the staircase dictated the heights for the arches, and the temporary covering with simple wooden planks allowed progress on the interior work.
Love simply is. That is the testament of Athena or Sherine or Hagia Sofia – love is. No definitions. Love and don’t ask too many questions. Just love. Paulo Coelho
To avoid putting too much strain on the building’s structure, we opted for expanded clay aggregate. It’s easy to work with, and with enough help, the floors can be easily accessed – thanks in part to the existing staircase.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – first light
At the end of the shell construction of Casa Pacha Mama, we had already applied the finishing plaster on the second and first floors. Beforehand, all the electrical wiring had to be installed. Junction boxes were in place. Cables had been pulled. Everything was ready for connection. But we had to wait 18 years for that! So it was a huge relief when Carsten, as a master electrician, was able to certify the functionality and operational safety and put the installation into operation.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – state of the art
When I’m in Germany, I often visit a scrap metal dealer. I usually have something with me, which I give him – without asking for payment. The man, originally from Russia, was a bit unsure at first and didn’t quite know how to interpret my behavior. But he was always happy to see me. Sometimes I found something I wanted to take home, and I got it, and I suspect, at a particularly good price.
Once, I found several electrical cabinets in his yard and asked if I could remove the circuit breakers. He said yes and let me do it for four hours. When I asked about payment, he waved it off. I took all the circuit breakers, timers, and DIN rails home and sorted the parts. In Cervera, we stored these parts at the Art Camp, and friends kept asking me for circuit breakers for electrical installations. There are now several houses in the village with circuit breakers from these cabinets. And now there’s another house, Casa Pacha Mama. The installed circuit breakers are state-of-the-art and have been thoroughly tested by Carsten. The house now has several independently operable control loops. This would limit a short circuit to just a few points. When we rebuilt the facade, I also prepared an earthing system for the house in the concrete foundation above the rock. Over twenty years later, this has now been put into operation – and found to be working perfectly.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – fine screed
After the rough screed was laid, a fine layer was applied to provide a good base for the floor tiles later.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – floor tiles
The tiles were deliberately laid at an angle. All the walls are crooked and curved, making it impossible to define a straight starting point. Instead, we decided to use the center of the landing of the spiral staircase on each floor as a reference and place the first tile there. This then determines the position of all the tiles in the room.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – more floor tiles
In the first step, all the whole tiles were laid. In the second step, all the smaller pieces were measured, cut, and laid. The floor tiles are made of fired clay.
The Valencia region has been known for its ceramics since Roman times. The Moors brought new glazes, symbols, and forms. All of this is still preserved in the building materials from ancient times. Nowadays, the kilns are gas-fired; previously, they used charcoal. Thus, a great deal of energy is contained in each tile. Currently, prices are rising, driven by scarcity and the ever-present speculation. This was factored in as a desired side effect. Once again, it’s clear that nothing happens by chance. The long storage period hasn’t harmed the tiles. We are now pleased that these materials are already available locally and in sufficient quantities. And this, too, is a piece of the puzzle in understanding our actions. We often act against the general trend. The decision to purchase so many tiles (for two houses) so early on committed us early, but now gives us a significant advantage.
We bought what’s known as “B-grade” stock. That’s always a compromise, too. As you can see, the colors vary. This provided an incentive to search for a laying pattern that showed no repetition.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The art of cutting
A tile cutter (wet) was used on a work table. For the old construction sites, we had purchased a wet saw for tiles and stoneware. That was a big investment. We had to save for a long time. The machine was first used in Germany and then brought to Cervera del Maestre for the interior renovation of Casa Pacha Mama.
The cuts are clean, the dust is bound during cutting, which isn’t as taxing on the lungs. But the work area gets very wet, and the safety goggles fog up constantly. Everything has to be cleaned regularly, the water refilled, and fine-tuned. The work progresses slowly. If you think about the end, you’ve already lost. Motivation can only come from the moment you’re doing it.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The last floor tiles
It was a special moment to fit in the last two pieces. Antje had laid the tile in the middle. This tile had determined the placement of all the other tiles in the room. Now it was a matter of adjusting and laying the two neighboring tiles.
When empires fall, it’s not so easy for the invaders. If they stick their heads out from the crowd too soon, they’ll be destroyed as a cautionary tale; if they stay on the sinking ship too long, they’ll go down with it or at least struggle to find their footing afterward. The other, braver ones will remember for a long time.
Just as the phases of a human life, a project, a company, or a nation build upon one another, so it is with states that rise to become empires. Just as the two neighbor tiles join the existing center, the Varsallians also gather around the empires, hoping to get something out of it.
Morals today are corrupted by our worship of riches. Marcus Tullius Cicero
We cannot rebel against the obvious, but we can mitigate its effects if we choose what is good for us and for ours.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – skirting boards
After that, over 80 baseboard pieces were cut from the floor tiles. These plaster edges are extremely useful and make future maintenance easier. But it’s also a time-consuming job. Your glasses fog up with dust and water while cutting. A stop had to be built to keep the measurements straight.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – around the chimney shaft
The tiles are first glued into the curved section of the spiral staircase and then cut into a rounded shape using an angle grinder. A homemade compass with a string is used for marking the lines.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Marble in the niches
There are many details in Pacha Mama’s house, including several wall niches. The floors of these niches are made of marble. This marble came from a container belonging to a marble dealer in Siegburg, near Cologne, Germany. We had bought marble there for windowsills and, when we went to pick it up, saw a container full of broken pieces. We were allowed to take as much as we wanted. We returned several times and collected several tons of marble. From this quarry, we selected the largest pieces, measured them precisely, labeled them, and stored them in our home unit in Germany. Many friends have windowsills made from these pieces, and the upper terrace of Casa Pacha Mama has a balustrade made of many small rectangles. The marble from Siegburg has been with us for over 30 years now, and we keep finding places where it fits perfectly.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Preparation for grouting
After the floor tiles and baseboards were glued in place, the first floor was completely emptied for the first time. Cutting the clay tiles produced a lot of fine clay dust, bound to the cooling water of the cutting machine. We collected this brownish-red powder as best we could. You can see some residue in the photo. We’ll use it for something else later, but that will be a story for another time.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – grouting
Then the grout was applied. After it had partially dried, the cleaning of the tiles began. This is a job that seems endless and cannot be postponed. We worked until late in the evening, on our knees, two of us.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – cleaning
Francesca remains in good spirits, even though her limbs ache. The sight of the floor makes it all worthwhile. And with every tile laid and cleaned up, the completion of the work comes a little closer.
In nothing do humans approach so nearly to the gods as doing good to others. Marcus Tullius Cicero
This quote also describes our approach and our way of living together. We think about what might be good for the other person and consider what we can contribute.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – first floor ready
Now the floor is ready to be walked on. This photo, along with many others, is part of a photo album we compiled for the family. As a historical record, it concludes with the grouting of the first-floor floor. The remaining work will likely fill another volume.
That, too, is part of our project. As Antje’s father once put it: Do good and talk about it.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Copper pipe cladding
The next phase of construction involved the bathroom on the ground floor. We had laid the pipes and connected the fixtures there. This allowed us to test the system under pressure, find and fix any leaks, and then insulate the pipes.
Just as much unused building material had found its way from CASAdelDRAGON to Casa Pacha Mama, the entire plumbing system in the bathroom and kitchen also came from our surplus stock. Drain pipes, copper pipes, connectors, seals, and valves—we could take everything.
This counter-cyclical approach had also proven successful: collect when it’s easy and use it when the time is right.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – shower screen
The natural stone walls in this house are not straight anywhere. Therefore, we opted for clay bricks to create a straight inner wall. This conceals the plumbing and provides a base for future wall tiles.
Working with clay bricks is very pleasant. The bricks are lightweight, easy to handle, and these walls are ideal for cladding that will later be plastered or tiled.
Above all, it’s important to avoid gypsum products, especially in areas like bathrooms and kitchens. This construction is also perfectly suited for lime plasters. These are breathable and prevent mold growth. All the plastering in the interior of Casa Pacha Mama is done with lime plaster.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Wall niche in the shower
The shower wall will have a niche for the shampoo and the soap. And there are details to discover there too. But we’ll leave that to those who will be using the shower.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – installation pipes
The copper pipes are elaborately insulated. This also serves to protect them. This way, the aggressive mortar cannot easily corrode the pipes later.
These pipes will be hidden by a clay brick wall in front of them. This is an example of a phenomenon we observe time and again. People seem to tend to compensate for a lack of knowledge with assumptions and, based on these assumptions, make their actions appear rational. In doing so, they also accept much that goes unnoticed in the background and underestimate their dependence on it. Thinking takes energy, and anyone who wanted to survive on the steppe had to manage their energy wisely. Building a bathroom yourself changes your perspective on the value of that very bathroom. Perhaps that’s why, in our community, we tend to do more things we can do ourselves and buy fewer ready-made—and sealed—solutions.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Measurements for the toilet bowl
In order to determine the exact location of the drainpipe for the toilet bowl, everything was set up temporarily.
Architecture, including interior design, is a powerful art form. It determines a great deal and dictates how people can and should move within it. Gaudí instructed his architects to study nature. He was particularly interested in the structural solutions that had evolved in nature. Model making was a proven method for approaching this process of understanding. In our case, the toilet bowl was moved around the bathroom, and we took our time to determine the right place for it.
This is reminiscent of another phenomenon we’re observing these days. People develop the feeling that they have to make a decision. In reality, they’re being manipulated into it, because a decision makes further manipulation easier. Maintaining an open-ended situation makes it easier to overcome one’s own preconceived notions. When you think about the architecture shown here, this idea seems contradictory. But it isn’t. In fact, throughout all the years in which we haven’t been able to advance the interior construction of Casa Pacha Mama, we’ve repeatedly had time to consider how we could proceed. What we’re doing now, therefore, isn’t the product of a current deliberation, but rather an expression of the certainty gained from countless thought experiments of the past. And it’s also a kind of summary of all the construction activities of our lives, and thus a symbol of the distance we’ve traveled.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – Inspection hatch for shut-off valves
The shut-off valves for the individual water circuits will disappear behind a large inspection hatch.
During construction, something became clear that is obvious but often ignored – especially in advertising: everything that’s installed can break. Every function has its own set of limitations.
Early on, we started limiting all functions to economically and technically feasible levels. If damage occurs, it’s good to be able to contain it. The number of shut-off valves indicates this. We can divide the cold and hot water lines into many small segments. There are two independent supply lines for the bathroom and kitchen. If one line fails, the rest can continue to operate safely.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The message in the bottle
Just as this article represents an opportunity to preserve and share knowledge and observations across time, so too does every building offer the chance to deposit messages for the future. On the eve of constructing a small concrete lintel in the bathroom, which essentially serves to anchor the sink, a message for the future was written.
What messages could have been placed in this jar: warnings to the future not to be misled by lab leaks in gain-of-function research, statements about politics that are not perceived as friendly to the people, with references to Bonhoeffer and his remarks about the stupid people whose level one shouldn’t stoop to. Many things are conceivable. But what would the value be? If this jar is found during construction work in 200-300 years, what would that have to do with the lived reality of those then living? We don’t know. But we do know that thoughts create reality. And we have placed good thoughts in the jar for the people who will inhabit this house. In doing so, we have also thought of the many unknowns we cannot know, far beyond the boundaries of our own lives, far beyond those of our other family members.
We imagine ourselves in this bathroom, thinking of these thoughts. They then become self-referential. And we become part of the group of people who enjoy it.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The message to the future
So we collected the good wishes for the future inhabitants of this house. Along with a small treasure, the jar was placed in the concrete. Whoever enters the bathroom now and knows something of this message will feel a special connection. It is also a pleasure to write history.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The message to the future in concrete
The concrete stub has been freed from its form work and is waiting for the wall tiles. Many years ago, when an architect evaluated our technical solutions at CASAdelDRAGON, he remarked that everything was very solidly built. He said it sometimes reminded him more of a bunker, but it would certainly be one of the last houses still standing in that village in the distant future. He left open the question of whether this reflected the then-expressed will of the residents and neighbors, or whether it was due to the demolition costs, which he maybe considered too high.
Judge not by the number, but by the weight. Marcus Tullius Cicero
But it can also be described differently. It’s about balance and harmony, and about the feeling of a solid foundation. And even in this detail, it’s about intelligently reusing the leftover materials from other construction sites.
Casa Pacha Mama – walk of wisdom – The final bricklaying work in the bathroom
On March 18, 2026, the last bricks were laid in the bathroom. This brings us a little closer to the day of the inauguration of Casa Pacha Mama and to our goal of celebrating this inauguration in a fitting manner.
What do Athena, Cicero, Casa Pacha Mama, and a few people’s views on living together and interacting with the society around them have to do with each other? What could be the intention behind writing such an article? After all, you’ve read this far.
It was Athena’s tour through the last 12 months of construction. As the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship, she is considered an excellent companion for this walk.
Perhaps it’s a new form of literature, a product of general censorship and the turmoil of the times. But haven’t all times been confusing, or at least offered confusion?
Whether one has to agree to the biometric measurement of one’s own body to be allowed to read this article online in the near future remains to be seen. That remains as open as the story itself.
One thing is certain: You write the continuation of this story! And you begin now!
osa mayor cervera del maestre – new generation before take-over – 2026
This is a story about some younger and older people. This is a story about an ongoing dialogue. This is a story about trying to gain understanding. This is a story about action itself. This is a story about tolerance. And this is yet another story about a social space in a mountain village in eastern Spain and the people who created it – and still are doing so.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – regenerate the soil – 2026
In retrospect, some might wonder why we reported on the small construction progress at a social space in eastern Spain, especially at a time when the so-called Western world was once again being turned upside down. What’s the point of building something when so much is being destroyed? What gives us the strength to create something when so much energy is being used to destroy the future of amazing citizens?
Edu shovels the old little trailer empty. We had used it to transport clay and topsoil from the Osa Mayor to the Color Garden. The depleted soil is stored at the edge of the site to recover over the next few decades. Then, thanks in part to rainwater from the upper terraces, it will slowly be reintegrated into the local topsoil.
The trailer, by the way, is a gift from Richard and Solweig from Harzgerode (Athina). They gave it to us because they support projects like ours. We’re often asked how something like this is even possible; this is just a little hint.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – waste separation – 2026
When we’re not hauling soil, we also use the trailer near Osa Mayor as a depot for construction debris that, mixed with gypsum and paint, can no longer be recycled by us. We then regularly transport it to the local waste collection point called Ecopark here in Spain in these days. This, too, is an important part of building this community space: waste separation, including construction debris.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – team building – 2026
This story, too, is a story about people, their actions, and their motives. And here, too, we cannot ignore what is currently happening in the world. Unlike others, we don’t want to rebuild a temple. We want to create a social space that people can enter to connect with one another.
Tana and Annika are helping. Two young women from Germany set out to explore cohabitation and living community options. They chose our community. These two come from a different era. They belong to Generation Z – also described as the last generation. We don’t want to adopt this terminology ourselves. Nevertheless, one can describe a lot when one knows which generation uses which terms. While the Baby Boomers were lulled to bed by the TV’s Sandman, Generation Z fell asleep next to their smartphones. What has always been a given in a generation is taken for granted, accepted, and only questioned later, sometimes, somehow.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – digging for the truth – 2026
Tana is digging. The volunteer has almost reached the old ground level. She’s called away for a meal and somehow can’t stop. She wants to finish what she started. That’s the spirit in the new generation that we need. When you dedicate your free time to a social project and get into the flow, even a break feels like an interruption.
Children look to their parents. They listen to what their parents say, and they watch what their parents do. Whatever the parents think, only what they do matters.
It’s the same in retrospect with every new generation. We hear—sometimes with astonishment—what they say, but they will be judged by future generations by what they do. Tana is digging into the history of the Osa Mayor, a house built from the stones of the ruined castle of Cervera del Maestre more than 500 years ago. She is uncovering the history, and in doing so, she is laying the foundation for the reconstruction of this social space.
If you control the past, you control the present; if you control the present, you help shape the future. Don’t leave that to others who want to write in your mind. Juan Petry
osa mayor cervera del maestre – the harvest of building materials – 2026
Francesca collects chunks of cement, small natural stones, and fragments of old clay bricks from the rubble of the ruin. Just as the Romans had done many years before, these materials are valued as building materials for the new structure. The local materials possess immense value, and it is essential to recognize this value. When one considers the stones of a facade, one can appreciate the amount of energy stored in quarrying, processing, and transporting them. Half the energy consumed by a car over its lifetime is used in its production. The same is true for building materials. The Romans knew this and thus tried to reuse existing materials whenever possible. The new residents of Cervera del Maestre did the same when they quarried stones from the castle walls. In this way, military resources were given a civilian purpose. This pattern likely repeats itself time and again.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – simple restoration of a 200-year-old window – 2026
Osa Mayor’s neighbor told us about the old woman who was the last person to live in the house. It was during the reconstruction period after the Spanish Civil War. This woman apparently often stood on the balcony and watched the children playing in the street. Or she would open the only (!) window—without glass—on the first floor to air out the room.
This old frame with its single-leaf wooden shutter is also to be preserved and will be restored using the simplest of methods. A carpenter once put it this way: if you want to help the wood withstand the test of time, you oil it. So we sanded the pieces, replaced the slats that had been eaten away by woodworm, reinforced the whole thing, and then painted it with oil.
The window will be given pride of place in the facade, between the arch and the balcony.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – dig for the topsoil – 2026
Francesca is digging. As she does so, she thinks of the plants in the adjacent flowerbed. They barely manage to survive in the poor, clay-rich soil and would be so happy to receive a dose of good topsoil. In the Osa Mayor, many wooden beams had collapsed and been crushed by rubble. In the permanently damp environment, they decomposed over decades, forming fine humus. Francesca is excavating these layers and collecting this good soil for the flowerbed.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – construction logistics – material selection – 2026
Markus comes from Germany. A friend brought him along. He started sorting natural stones and clay bricks and placing them near the future construction sites. Construction logistics is a crucial aspect of building and is often underestimated. Most of the time spent on construction is spent preparing for and following up on the project. Clever storage is very helpful in this regard. At Osa Mayor, we’ve already accomplished a great deal in the last six months: about 10 tons of clay and soil, about 3 tons of green waste, and about 2 tons of plastic waste and glass. In addition, we’ve salvaged about 6 tons of old building materials from the rubble and have already incorporated some of them into the construction.
Every kilogram of building material that doesn’t need to be purchased or transported becomes a valuable resource.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – inexpensive wood protection – 2026
The old shutter gets its makeover with dark oil.
When using this resource, thoughts of current politics are never far away. The younger generation has a very clear opinion on this. They are very irritated that people who present themselves as so socially minded, opening their living space to strangers and readily sharing what they have, have such a completely different opinion on these issues. If many don’t want to leave their echo chamber and defend their comfort zone at all costs, then it is truly commendable that these two visitors expose themselves to these other opinions and can tolerate them. Therein lies the great opportunity, for us and for them. We don’t want to convince them, co-opt them, or manipulate them; we simply want to meet them authentically and honestly, without pretense. And that, too, is what makes a social space social.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – the reuse of old mineral plasters as mortar – 2026
The neighbor of Osa Mayor is Casa Armonia. This is also a new project of our community, and we will report on it later. In this house, old mineral plaster was removed from the walls. The house breathed again, and the walls lost a significant amount of moisture. The mineral plaster can be processed into a kind of Roman concrete. This can then be reused, along with compact, solid construction rubble, to fill the walls. And that’s exactly what we did.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – reconstruction of the facade in a more Roman style – 2026
In the foreground, a small wall made of old clay tiles salvaged from the house’s rubble can be seen. The center of the wall contains a layer of solid old concrete, smaller natural stones, and shards of clay.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – reconstruction of the facade in a more Roman style – insides – 2026
Almost 90% of the building materials in this picture were salvaged from the rubble of the Osa Mayor; only about 10% were added as new bought material later. Lime is the predominant material. It bonds well with the other materials and also seals the wall better than a simple cement mortar would.
The secret of the old natural stone walls can be unlocked by asking why they have lasted so long. The walls endure because the stones, when laid together, can move slightly and very slowly. This allows them to absorb the resulting stresses caused by earthquakes and weathering. Lime mortar closely approximates this principle.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – reconstruction of the facade in a more Roman style – outsides – 2026
Markus has done a great job; the clay bricks for the next work session are ready.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – the beginning of the fourth arc – 2026
The Gothic entrance area will gain another inner arch. It will be constructed from old clay bricks from the Osa Mayor. In Gothic architecture, the number of arches often reflects a combination of spiritual and pragmatic considerations. This is also the case here. With the fourth inner arch, the entrance will reach the width of the facade wall. This will give the entrance maximum stability and provide height for future crossbeams connecting to the adjacent walls and the rear facade. This construction method also creates the foundation for an organic tower that will spiral upwards from the patio.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – reuse of topsoil nearby – 2026
One can behave antisocially and add a portion of the loot to a so-called good cause, in the spirit of indulgences. But that is reminiscent of the dark times in human history. A social space like Osa Mayor must also be characterized by being social from the outset and having a social impact on its surroundings from the very beginning. The good soil that Francesca had taken from Osa Mayor has found its place in the flowerbed at the fork in the path. The loquat will be pleased, as will all the other plants that previously had to eke out a meager existence.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – left base of fourth arc – 2026
Every Saturday between 10 am and 1 pm in spring 2026, people gather at Osa Mayor. They want to participate in the project workshop and contribute their knowledge, strength, and perseverance. Annika, Tana, Oscar, Markus, Francesca, and the many others are becoming part of this story. Osa Mayor invites new generations to get involved, to take action.
We were very impressed by this young generation. Above all, we were touched by their openness to confronting uncomfortable, differing opinions. And we were delighted by their ability to engage with a topic for hours without getting sidetracked by convenient distractions.
Whatever this new generation considers right and important, if they focus on the enjoyment and pleasure of doing, they will find their way.
The questioning of gender and its roles is also a major theme for this generation. Here, too, the future will value actions more than words. And those who don’t want to die out will ultimately choose to support a new generation.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – a child from Las Parras street – the street of Osa Major – 2026
In times like these, every action and every word becomes political. And that is perhaps also a motivation for this article. If it invites conversation and encourages dissent, that’s good; if it contributes to young people, like Annika and Tana, taking action and creating social space, that’s even better.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – the finished Gothic arch at midnight – 2025
In the winter of 2025, we resumed work on La Osa Mayor. Securing the facade was our top priority. Large sections of the facade near the main entrance had been severely damaged in the preceding years and months by wind, rain, and ivy spreading over the remaining walls. The resulting weight from the rain was too much for the wall to bear, and parts of it collapsed. The goal was—and still is—to save what can be saved of the building structure. Only in this way can we safely develop the interior of the patio.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – chapter of an inner pillar – 2025
To support the mountain-facing facade later, we began to secure and reinforce one of the inner pillars. It proved successful to distribute future loads not onto the outer natural stone walls, but instead to provide structurally independent columns inside the building. This column, located next to the main entrance, will eventually bear the primary weight of the arches that will connect the front and rear facade walls.
We collected some river stones, which will serve as a simple ornament to adorn this section. They are a reminder of the strength and durability of the related types of stone.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – chapter of an inner pillar – still under construction – 2025
The bricklaying process is characterized by the fact that the initial focus is on ensuring stability, with the joints being cleaned and adjusted only afterward. This process takes approximately six hours if the mortar is used without chemical additives. Bricklaying follows strict rules, which also define the sequences and time frames involved.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Scaffolding for the construction of the Gothic arch – 2025
The social art project La Osa Mayor is also – like CASAdelDRAGON or Casa Pacha Mama not funded by public money. There are no grants or other government assistance. Consequently, the tools and equipment are improvised and basic. Nevertheless, it is important to ensure safe working conditions even under these circumstances. The remaining scaffolding was joined together with professional clamps, and construction supports for the future wooden form of the Gothic arch were securely anchored to the old threshold of the house entrance.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Signs made from recycled pallet wood for La Osa Mayor – 2025
La Osa Mayor is a social sculpture. As such, it attracts attention even during the construction phase. Therefore, it seemed advisable to communicate its name from the outset. This way, it is perpetuated in many vacation photos.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – The wooden form for the Gothic arch – 2025
In the village, people began to wonder, seeing this arch, whether a museum or a church was being built. This question was also motivated by the unusual entrance.
How this place will be used in the future is not clear to the builders. But the story of this entrance should be told here.
When Epicurus decided to create a garden instead of building a building for his school of thought, he considered its future use. The garden was to be dedicated to teaching and education. To provide the best possible environment for this education, there were certain conditions: Everyone who passed through the garden gate should be equal to the others already present in the garden. The free expression of opinion in the public space of the garden should be the basis of dialogue. Epicurus inscribed this “contract” on the gate; whoever passed through it signed this contract.
The architectural choice of this entrance was clear. Everyone who passes through this arch will understand that they are entering a special space. In the Patio Osa Mayor, everyone is equal and therefore has equal rights. A social space can only develop and stabilize if it has no hierarchies and grants equal opportunities to all.
The Gothic arch provides the architectural framework for this.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Preparing the old clay bricks for building the Gothic arch – 2025
Many years before, we had collected old, historic terracotta bricks from the spoil heaps on Vinaros beach. We had even kept a few in the bodega of Casa Pacha Mama, located in the same village.
Thus, the arch was constructed from these old yellow terracotta bricks, salvaged from numerous historic buildings in the region, and from terracotta tiles salvaged from the historic Osa Mayor building. We had previously pulled these tiles from the rubble and cleaned them. Some of the terracotta tiles had to be painstakingly freed from old mortar. But this work is always worthwhile, because such terracotta bricks are a priceless treasure. You can’t buy everything important in life. This also applies to local, historic building materials. The ruins of the Osa Mayor serve as our source of these historic building materials, just as the castle ruins served as a quarry for the new residents of Cervera del Maestre many years ago.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Breaking out two natural stones to be able to build the Gothic arch – 2025
Preserving old building fabric is always a balancing act. In this case, two natural stones had to be removed to allow for the construction of a solid Gothic arch springing. This was a critical step, also with regard to the stability of the facade at this point.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – the first clay bricks for the Gothic arch – 2025
After the removal of the two natural stones, work could begin on the Gothic arch.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – the almost finished Gothic arch – 2025
Barely 8 hours later, the first arch was almost finished. Work was carried out in stages, first on the left and then on the right, to better distribute the weight of the material onto the wooden structure.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Precious clay bricks from Casa Pacha Mama – 2025osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Construction of a second inner Gothic arch – 2025
The bodega of Casa Pacha Mama still contains a considerable amount of building material that will be used. Massive clay bricks are being brought in from here, which will be used for a second and third arch on the inside of the Gothic arch.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Construction of a third inner Gothic arch – 2025
The joints are temporarily sealed with wooden pieces to prevent the mortar from falling out. They will be removed later.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Rescue measures and protection of existing rights for the small balcony – 2025
The maintenance work carried out at the end of 2025 included securing the small balcony. Neighbors told stories of the house’s last resident, who often stood on this balcony to watch the children playing and playing in Calle Las Parras. It was said to have been a street with 100 children before the Spanish Civil War.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Stabilization of the inner facade wall next to the small balcony – 2025
The inner wall near the balcony was also repaired, and once again old clay bricks from the rubble of the ruin were used.
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – Stabilization of the inner facade wall next to the small balcony – 2025
As with the bow before, the beauty of the work only becomes apparent once the joints have been repaired and cleaned.
We only wrote this article in the spring of 2026. So much had happened, and there simply wasn’t time to write it all down. As always, the places within our community are very dynamic and intense.
Every saturday we meet in the street LAS PARRAS 43-45 in 12578 Cervera del Maestre in Castellon, Spain to create a public social space with open kitchen, stage and some cafe infrastructure. We invite you to join the movement and to enjoy the time with us.
We start at 10 am in the morning and we work 3 hours till 1 pm. Every guest brings something to share in a community brunch. Think in salad, dips, some drinks, bread or snacks.
At 1 pm we open the brunch session, depending of the weather outside or inside.
Please wear some old clothes and good strong shoes. Its a working area. No registration or prior notice of your visit is necessary. Whoever comes, comes.
Todos los sábados nos reunimos en la calle LAS PARRAS 43-45, en Cervera del Maestre 12578, Castellón, España, para crear un espacio social público con cocina abierta, escenario y algunas instalaciones de cafetería. Te invitamos a unirte al movimiento y disfrutar del tiempo con nosotros.
Empezamos a las 10 de la mañana y trabajamos 3 horas, hasta la 1 de la tarde. Cada persona trae algo para compartir en un brunch comunitario. Puedes traer ensalada, salsas, bebidas, pan o aperitivos.
A la 1 de la tarde abrimos el brunch, dependiendo del tiempo, ya sea al aire libre o dentro.
Por favor, usa ropa vieja y calzado cómodo y resistente. Es una zona de trabajo. No es necesario registrarse ni avisar con antelación. ¡Quien venga, que venga!
la osa mayor – the great forgetting – its all about love
This is a story about communication. The exchange of messages has always been a part of evolution. And the goal has always been to correctly determine their value and content. There have always been those who wanted to disrupt such communication for their own ...
La osa mayor – yuki was here to make a statement – brick layers first
This is a story about – and a little surprise for – Yuki. It’s also a story about Martin, Peter, Jady, Luciano, and all the other helpers who gather every Saturday in the Patio La Osa Mayor. It’s the story of ...
osa mayor cervera del maestre – new generation before take-over – 2026
This is a story about some younger and older people. This is a story about an ongoing dialogue. This is a story about trying to gain understanding. This is a story about action itself. This is a story about tolerance. And this is yet ...
osa mayor cervera del maestre – backyard of humanity – the finished Gothic arch at midnight – 2025
In the winter of 2025, we resumed work on La Osa Mayor. Securing the facade was our top priority. Large sections of the facade near the main entrance had been severely damaged in the preceding years and ...
la osa mayor invitation
We continue…
Every saturday we meet in the street LAS PARRAS 43-45 in 12578 Cervera del Maestre in Castellon, Spain to create a public social space with open kitchen, stage and some cafe infrastructure. We invite you to join the movement and to enjoy the time with us.
We start at 10 am in ...
osa mayor cervera – secure the facade – november 2025
This is a story about the starry sky, a story about a nighttime companion, a story about a strange bathing party team, and a story about Epicurus and his garden. But ultimately, it’s also a story about you.
Almost forty years ago, we began to look at ...
the new adventure in cervera del maestre – ivy
This is a story about my grandmother, a Cologne author, radio presenter, and actress. It’s also a story about building (houses in mountain villages in Spain). And it’s a story about Vincente, an old farmer in such a Spanish mountain village. And it’s the story of the ...
osa mayor cervera – secure the facade – november 2025
This is a story about the starry sky, a story about a nighttime companion, a story about a strange bathing party team, and a story about Epicurus and his garden. But ultimately, it’s also a story about you.
Almost forty years ago, we began to look at a ruin in front of CASAdelDRAGON. We wondered who had lived there. We wondered what would become of this house, threatened by decay.
In the evenings, we sat on the terrace and gazed at the silhouettes of this ruin in the moonlight. In those early years, there was hardly any street lighting in the village of Cervera del Maestre, and certainly not on the street with the many ruins—our street.
When we raised our gaze to the starry sky, we saw the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). That constellation had always been something special. Wherever we came to rest in the evening after work wherever in Europe, wherever we had said goodbye to the day and welcomed the night together, this constellation was always present before us. Over the years, it had become a reliable companion. And this companion gave each of these places a feeling of home.
osa mayor cervera – secure the facade – first old ceramic stones – november 2025
All of this is long past, but it is the foundation of my knowledge, upon which I can stand comfortably and which I have been able to develop further over all these years. I read the stones. I listen too. They speak to me. When I lift such a natural stone, move it in my hand, then I read it. It is not me who assigns the stone its new place; it is the stone that tells me how it should best lie and how I should align it in the best way. Some stones joyfully say YES, some are reserved, and some say NO. I listen to them. I respect their reply. When I read the stones, I also read the traces of the previous working of maybe free masons. Some of the stones in the ruins in Cervera were cutted out from the rocks. You can recognize them by the fact that they have been little or not at all hewn. They were mostly used as building blocks within the natural stone walls. The “beautiful” stones were all hewn. They show traces of human workmanship. But these traces are much older than expected. The older houses in the village of Cervera del Maestre are largely built from the natural stones of the castle. Poor families from the north were invited to help revive the village in the 15th century, and they were granted the right to use the old castle ruins as a quarry.
The ruins in front of CASAdelDRAGON are also made of these stones. They weren’t hewn by the masons when this house was built; they were hewn when the castle was constructed, more than 1,000 years ago.
When I hold one of these stones in my hand, it’s a magical moment. I read the stone, I listen to it. It tells of that ancient time. I have great respect for what this stone has witnessed. And I am grateful that I can give it a new, important place.
osa mayor cervera – secure the facade – recycling of old construction materials – november 2025
Just as you can read and listen to the stones, you can also read the facades of old houses. You can tell whether the people who built them were wealthy or poor, whether they had time for details or only worked on their homes briefly after a hard day’s work in the fields.
The houses of wealthy people usually have stone lintels above the window reveals and doors and gates, while those of poor people tend to have wooden beams. Wealthy people could often afford stone arches, while poor people could hardly afford them. Wealthy people have facades where all the outer stones are hewn and worked, while poor people used a variety of materials, and you often find broken bricks mixed in with the natural stones.
Those who had to save money when building their homes did as the Romans did. They reused old building materials as much as possible. And that’s exactly what we’re doing now with the reconstruction of the facade at the House of the Big Bear.
At the lower entrance, on the left-hand side, there are some very special clay bricks. These stones come from a construction waste dump in Vinaros, a city nearby. On the north side of the main beach, where a small forest with fitness equipment has now been built, there used to be a large dumping ground. The sea is eroding the land in this area, and the loose natural stone there offers little resistance to the waves. So, in the last century, construction debris was often dumped on the beach to slow down the erosion.
Many old clay bricks from castles, fortresses, and stately homes were also dumped there. The surf had washed many of them clean, removing all traces of mortar.
When we drove to the seaside in Vinaros after work at CASAdelDRAGON with our helpers, each of us carried two buckets. It was a strange sight in the summer. Several construction workers would arrive at the tourist beach with buckets, and before going for a swim, they would search for clay bricks in the spoil heap. Almost every trip to the seaside ended with us returning to Cervera with buckets full of these old clay bricks.
The tourists didn’t understand us, but a few elderly pensioners, who watched us with amusement, knew what we were doing and why.
These bricks had adorned castles and palaces, and we would give them a proper place in Spanish architecture again someday. We used many of these clay bricks in the CASAdelDRAGON. Some survived the passage of time in the cellar of Casa Pacha Mama. Now their time has come; they are finding a new home in the facade of Casa Oso Mayor.
osa mayor cervera – secure the facade – vinaros memories – november 2025
When Epicurus decided to establish a university, he didn’t want to build a palace like so many other schools for the children of the wealthy in ancient Greece. He chose to create a garden, and anyone entering through a gate had to agree to a condition: in this garden, all people are equal. This was a humanitarian demand of the human family, and in ancient Greece, an outrageous provocation.
In recent years, we have rebuilt or helped rebuild several houses in Cervera. At the moment, we aren’t considering rebuilding old Vincente’s house as a residence. We are considering dedicating this house to the human family. Instead of a building, we want to create a patio, preserving and securing the existing structures of the house. This is the work we began in November 2025.
If you, too, would like to listen to the stones, if you want to become part of this story, then find your way to Casa Oso Mayor in Cervera del Maestre (Castellon / Spain).
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – final stage
The famous quote about the dice being cast originates with Caesar. His decision to cross the Rubicon defied the law. There was no turning back; it was fight and victory or death. Whatever the future emperor said at the time, it has become an expression of the belief that actions are irreversible and that it is wise to be aware of this before taking action.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – the casting mold
In 2011, I began organizing exhibitions titled “Amor en Guerras Civiles” (Love in Civil Wars). The signs of an impending war against the citizens—every war is ultimately directed against the citizens of a society—were unmistakable to me. My contribution to this project was “Amazing Citizens.” I wanted to give the citizens a face, because they would once again suffer the most from the war and would once again have to bear the burden of reconstruction.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – in the mold
At the end of the economic miracle years, I asked my grandmother, an actress and author, how the Second World War could have happened. Having been bombed out twice, a single mother with two children, and having stumbled through the war, she had, as always, a concise answer: Victims were offered absolution by being perpetrators.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – 25 kg of art
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. After three or four generations, memory fades and joining in becomes difficult. Who really wants to look at what others have done wrong, so as not to repeat it themselves?
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – with joint compound 2
Nothing is accidental: Newspeak, thought control, the power to define the space for debate. Whether it’s the Rütli Hat or cognitive dissonance, subjugation is the goal.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – with joint compound
Sloterdijk’s fragmented society is reflected in his disintegrating circle of friends; there’s no mention of inclusion whatsoever. He even adds: “There is no moral obligation to self-destruction!” That, too, will probably be considered far-right by 2025.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – trencadis 2
The fact itself is a taboo broken, exclusion instead of debate end of 2025. Halfway there, we are rapidly approaching 2030. In a recent conversation with a friend, I had a remarkable experience. Invited to share my thoughts, I let them flow freely. I spoke about everything I’d seen and heard in recent weeks, all the political upheavals, and the social and economic consequences for my fellow citizens. Parts of Europe are a madhouse. And while some fear the future because they see their privileges dwindling, others fear an undemocratic future—if it hasn’t already begun. Only a few remain active and content.
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – trencadis
“I don’t watch television anymore; what good are all these bad news stories to me? I don’t want to hear them.” That was my friend’s response to his invitation to share what was going on inside me and what was on my mind. Was that a prohibition on speaking, a prohibition on thinking? What does friendship mean these days, and what does friendship even mean?
A hiker in Ares del Maestre agreed with me: “What mainland Spain was in the Spanish Civil War, Ukraine is today; back then, they tested all the new weapons and weapon types for the Second World War. Tanks, carpet bombing of towns, and targeted attacks on industry and civilian infrastructure were tested also.” What tanks were then, drones are today. The testing ground is grateful—or not. What comes after this new test?
CASAdelDRAGON – alea iacta est – over the Rubicon and beyond – final stage
When the Twin Towers in New York were brought down, we converted the ground floor of CASAdelDRAGON into an exhibition space, driven by contemporary social art and not by money. When the War on Terror was declared, i created a family constellation of the European family as part of an art exhibition in an exhibition space in Rheinbach near Cologne in Germany – with refugees from Syria. When the children were being tested en masse in the classrooms every day, we organized guitar lessons for the older ones, and the younger ones played with the wood by the stove, together, singing and without fear. Now ships are anchored off Venezuela, Gaza lies in ruins, and we continue to work on a social meeting place, a place for members of the human family, an open house of encounter.
We don’t live in the best world, we live in the best possible one. The key is to remain active, to enjoy life. The allure of fear is ever-present, and a wise rejection is called for. It’s not a good idea to turn away from the world and shut ourselves off from its signals. It’s a good idea to receive those signals, whether we like them or not, and to act in such a way that we can look into the eyes of small children without regret, without fear, and without anger. We continue.
monthly wrap – written words – chimney in a lost place
Whatever happens, if it’s not documented, will rarely be remembered. And if the few who take action neglect to write it down, the others will think nothing happened. This is a monthly overview, from the beginning of September 2025 to the beginning of October 2025. It may seem rather disjointed, but it’s a time-lapse of all the many small and large things that happen.
The written word is greatest sacred documentation. Lailah Gifty Akita
One day after our return, we had a mission in Llerida. The task was to repair a chimney damaged in a storm using simple means.
Back in Cervera, a few benches were distributed around CASAdelDRAGON. These will probably be taken over by the municipality later and placed in special locations.
monthly wrap – written words – buenavistacervera – urban gardening
Another workshop on building street furniture had only one participant, Miet from Belgium, a friend and very connected to our community. In three days, she had built her first bench, with the support of Francesca.
monthly wrap – written words – buenavistacervera – miets workshop – destiny next
Visitors from Halle and Berlin helped out and prepared more wood for the street furniture construction.
monthly wrap – written words – buenavistacervera – with a little help of some friends
After growing a lot of vegetables and lettuce during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, our own garden was somewhat neglected. To kick-start our gardening again, we planted lettuce and vegetables. We used the raised beds left over from our aquaponics project with the University of Halle.
monthly wrap – written words – abandoned aquaponics – planting food again
After we had buried the electrical cables 20 years ago, we began wiring the sockets and switches. That was a big moment for everyone. We also had to determine whether this installation would still be viable after so many years.
monthly wrap – written words – enlightenment in the house of Pacha Mama
For almost 40 years, we looked at a ruin. We will have the story of the “House of the Great Bear” to tell later. After starting work on removing the ivy, we are now clearing out the construction debris and garbage. Natural stones and recyclable building materials are being separated from the soil and rubble. The soil is being moved into the garden, and the garbage is being separated and disposed of. To date, we have already cleared out about 6 tons.
monthly wrap – written words – la osa grande – excavation first
The terrace in the House of the Dragon was completed over 30 years ago. After that, a parapet was added. This has been awaiting completion for 20 years now. At that time, there was a small room for art in the building. And soon, it’s set to continue.
monthly wrap – written words – cube one (of four)
Casa Pacha Mama is our second major construction project in Cervera del Maestre. That, too, is a long story. This made the completion of the electrical installation on the upper floors all the more significant. The fuse box is state-of-the-art and already provides all the electrical circuits, including those for the ground floor and basement, where interior work is still underway.
monthly wrap – written words – fuse box set up
I wished I could keep everything I witnessed like a photograph, to forever hold this electric aliveness. Aspen Matis
After designing several urban gardening models for a Belgian fan base five years ago and building them on the terrace of CASAdelDRAGON, it was now time to dismantle these installations. The used pallet wood will be thermally recycled, while the better pieces will be used in street furniture production and will be used in new benches.
monthly wrap – written words – food for tomorrow
The soil from the planting trays and raised beds was enriched with chicken manure, and lettuce, onions, and cabbage were planted.
We always see what hasn’t been accomplished yet. But at least while writing this, we have the leisure to reflect for a moment on what is already history.