Photography courtesy of La Casa Encendida

The House On It is a very active and innovative social and cultural center, located in Ronda de Valencia, number 2. It belongs to the Montemadrid Foundation, and began its activities in December 2002. Among its wide offering we find activities of all kinds: avant-garde art exhibitions , carrying out courses and workshops in the area of ​​the environment (in which we have participated for years, organizing bicycle routes) or solidarity. The cultural programming offers performing arts, cinema, stories, concerts, exhibitions and other manifestations of contemporary creation.

It has a clear vocation to offer support to young artists.

The name of La Casa Encendida comes from the poet's book of the same name. Luis Rosales. Its opening in Madrid was a breath of fresh air, in a cultural panorama much poorer than the one we enjoy today.

But the building has a longer history. The first stone was laid on May 1, 1911, the building was designed by the architect Fernando Arbós and TremantiIn the early years the building was used as a bank office, so it was known as "El Monte", and later as "Casa de Empeños".

It is organized around a central patio. The aesthetics of its facades were novel when compared to other bank buildings of the period. The façade has a mixture of two materials: brick, with Italianate and neo-Mudejar styles and combined with granite, with a symmetrical façade, with two towers.

In Lavapiés, that popular and cosmopolitan neighborhood, Casa Encendida is a cultural bastion, an open space to go to study, read, have a coffee, listen to music, see exhibitions or learn the most unlikely things in its countless courses.

Many Madrid residents (born here or adopted, those who have always lived in the city or those who have only done so for a short time) have grown culturally with Casa Encendida, probably the best Cultural Center in the city.

There have been some difficult periods, less active, with less flash, as a result of the situation associated with Caja Madrid, but the light has not gone out, it is still on and we wish it to continue like this for many more years.

A abrazo.