The city of La Línea de la Concepción hosts since April 9, 2003 a new UIMP Center.

The opening of the UIMP activities was inaugurated by writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who delighted the audience with the lecture “ The Century of Utopias”, and by the performance of the pianist Felipe Campuzano.

The Center is located at one of the hallmarks of La Línea; the D’amato villa. The villa, that enjoys a rationalist architectural design, was the family residence of a famous Maltese merchant since 1939. Previously, the building had hosted a popular theater where locals enjoyed the most prominent shows of that time.

The University location has generated a great development of academic and cultural activities not only for the city of La Línea, but also for the entire region.

CHALET D’AMATO, UIMP HEADQUARTERS AT LA LÍNEA

The building plot that currently houses the UIMP Center was, at the beginning of the last century, the property of the Ramírez Galuzo family. The “Salón Canela”, a bowling quarter built on wood and roofed by iron sheets, was located at this plot. Shortly afterward, the building plot was used for the Fair Theater “Teatro María Gurina” a sort of live-music cafe where people enjoyed drinks and dancing.

After that, Francisco Villar Sánchez payed 6000 pesetas in two terms for the plot. This creative businessman established a Theater named “Teatro Pascualini” as a tribute to his son Pascual who had died at a young age.

The Theater, that opened in 1910, soon became very popular, specially in the Gibraltar area, for its wide repertoire of Spanish operettas and sainetes (short farcical sketches of city life). A vast number of prominent show companies often performed at this theater. Among them, we highlight the Seville Compañía de los Duques, the Compañía de Murillo and the Comedia de María Guerrero.

After several years of success, the theater activities declined and it closed down around 1935. Under the Civil War that broke out in Spain in 1936 it was not profitable to rebuild or repair the building.

Beagio D’amato Fucci, a Maltese merchant, bought the tumbledown but still glorious coliseum in 1939. D’amato ordered to pull down the building to set up his family residence.

The villa construction was entrusted to the Italian architect Francisco Facio who carried out the project designed by Eligio Fernández Quiñones.

The building enjoys a rationalist style following the design movement born in Germany in the thirties that gave rise to modern architecture. The neoplastic aesthetic design, based on cubic volumes, is clean and sober. The outside fence contains expressionist features. The uniqueness of this building is only shared with two other designs in the entire Andalusia region.

During the time of Beagio D’amato, the villa was surrounded by a garden gorged with flowers. The garden and the noisy parties were among the most well-known features of the villa during this era.

The passing of time and the owner’s decease brought decadence and homeless to the villa causing the neighbors from La Velada to complain. It is for this reason that the La Linea City Council decided to expropriate the building seeking to restore it. However, financial difficulties and problems with D’amato’s heirs delayed the restoration project.

On January 16, 2002 the restoration works started. This date marks the beginning of a new era for this hallmark building that would host, since then, the La Linea UIMP Center.

D’amato Villa Current Structure; La Linea UIMP Center.

The total area of the Center is of 1014.15 square yards. The Center enjoys 550.36 square yards of useable area divided between four differentiated stories.

Semi basement Story: where the cafeteria, restrooms and storage room are located. Basement: two lobbies, a meeting room, administration offices, handicapped restrooms and two classrooms. Upper story: two offices, one classroom, restrooms and a balcony. Penthouse: Management office and roof access.

A state-of-the-art elevator has been incorporated to the outside structure of the building providing easy access to the upper floors.