Reynaldo and Jody Terrazas discovered Horta along with a community of San Francisco Bay Area artists. As their community began to put down roots in the very village where Picasso used to paint, the pair visited often, falling in love with the culture and history of the region.
Reynaldo, a master metal-worker known for his sculpture and architectural fabrications, joined his wife Jody Terrazas in a love for design and collecting. When friends from the village notified them that an ancient and important house had come on the market, they first visited what would become their passion project, and the “Terrazas family home away from home.”
Jody recalls first entering Casa Rumbet, which after housing a prominent lumber and farming family for decades, had been abandoned for over thirty years, and seeing herbs still hanging from the beams embedded deep into the four-foot-thick stone walls. The couple were enraptured by the history of the house, which dates back to the Templars, as evidenced by a carving still visible in the Salon walls. Mudejar doors still mark the influence of the Moors.
The Terrazas immediately put an offer on the home, and began a two-year trans-continental project of restoring and furnishing it. Jody expresses gratitude towards close friends from the village who oversaw the day-to-day work on the property while they remained in California, scouring auction houses for the right antiques to capture the rich, gothic feel of the home. They relied on the expertise and insight of a local stonemason to bring the home into its current glory, balancing rusticity with luxury.
Once completed, Casa Rumbet became an international gathering site for friends and family, showcasing the collections of the couple, and the artwork of Reynaldo, who maintained a studio and gallery in the village (he was later invited to create a solo exhibition at the nearby Convent of the Angels). The Terrazas became a part of the village, creating deep friendships and participating in annual festivals as a part of the culture they had always recognized as so close to their own hearts.
Jody Terrazas considers it an honor to be able to share Casa Rumbet with travelers from around the world, introducing them to the warmth and historical wealth of Horta and La Terra Alta.
