You are standing in Plaza del Ayuntamiento and admiring the main façade of Palacio Consistorial, Cartagena’s City Hall. Exquisite details are carved into white Macael marble and Villalba granite. The relief on top featuring the Castle of La Concepción is Cartagena’s coat of arms. Encircling it is a zinc covered dome. This architectural high point of Cartagena was finished in 1907 during the peak of the Belle Époque (Beautiful Era) in France. It is the masterful Modernista design of Tomás Rico Valarino while he was the city’s municipal architect. The tour inside is well worth the small price of admission.
