Torcuato Benjumeda

Torcuato José Benjumeda y Laguada (El Puerto de Santa María, 1757 — Cádiz, 1836) was a Spanish architect. He was a follower of Torcuato Cayón. He was one of the most important neoclassical architects of Andalucia.

The architect D. Torcuato Benjumeda, oil of Juan Rodríguez Jiménez (Museum of Cádiz). Text below painting: "D. TORCUATO JOSÉ BENJUMEDA CAPTAIN OF THE BATALLION OF ARTILLE/ROS OF VOLUNTARY LINE DISTINGUISHED OF CÁDIZ, ARCHITECT MAJOR TITLE FIRST OF THE SAME CITY, DIRECTOR OF ARQUI/TECTURA IN HIS ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, ACADEMICIAN OF MERIT OF THE ONE OF SAINT FERNANDO OF MADRID./ He DIED ON 15 APRIL 1836».

Biography

Torcuato José Benjumeda y Laguada was born in El Puerto de Santa María on 4 January 1757. He was the son of Miguel Benjumeda and María Laguada.  His parents were married in the Iglesia Prioral de El Puerto de Santa María in 1756. His father was born in Málaga.  His father was the son of Francisco de Benjumea and of Ana Francisca de Gálves.  His mother was from Saint Pedayna in Génova.  She was the daughter of Cayetano Laguada and of Rosa Bertorela. Torcuato was baptized on 9 January in the Prioral.  This was because his godfather was the architect Torcuato Cayón.

Benjumeda y Laguada married with Cándida Martínez de Pinillos in the church of San Juan Bautista of Chiclana on 15 August 1789. The couple ad five children. After getting married, they moved the marriage to Cadiz.  Their house was number 198 of the plazuela de la Cruz Green. Benjumeda y Laguada was appointed architect of the City council. He died in Cadiz on 15 April 1836 when he was 79 years old.

Altar of the Iglesia Mayor Prioral, en, in El Puerto de Santa María

A portrait of Benjumeda y Laguada is in the Museo de Cádiz.  It was painted by Juan Rodríguez in 1813.  It is titled "El panadero", which means "the baker".  His son donated it to the museum in 1861.

Bibliography

• Teodoro Falcón Márquez: Torcuato Benjumeda and the Architecture Neoclásica in Cádiz. Cádiz. 1974.
• Juan Jiménez Kills / Bad July of Molina: Guide of Architecture of Cádiz. Edited by the Council of Public Works and Transports, General Direction of Architecture and House, and Official School of Architects of Western Andalucia, Demarcation of Cádiz.1995.