Casa de José Musso Valiente in Lorca

Musso Valiente was an influential Lorca-born writer and politician in the early 19^th century

The former home of José Musso Valiente is one of the many noble residences to have been returned to their former splendour in the centre of Lorca following the earthquakes which struck the city on May 11th 2011, and can be found close to the corner of Calle del Álamo and Calle Lope Gisbert.

The building has now been converted into apartments, but its exterior is still impressive, especially the façade which can be seen at the lower end of Calle del Álamo; the doorway and the window above it, adorned with a balcony, are surrounded by the kind of stonework relief which is common in similar buildings throughout the center of Lorca.

José Musso Valiente

José Musso Valiente was a native of Lorca, where he was born on Boxing Day 1785, and became one of the most illustrious sons of the city during a thoroughly active life which he spent mainly in Lorca and Madrid. He was of noble descent and received private education at home during his early years, but at the age of ten travelled to Madrid to study at the Seminario de Escuela de Pías de San Fernando. Over the course of the next three years, still accompanied by his private tutor, Abbot Chevalier, he widened his knowledge in such diverse fields as the humanities, philosophy, mathematics, algebra, mechanics, hydraulics and drawing, before returning to Lorca to become involved in the family business.

At the age of 23 he was named the representative of Lorca in the Murcia Defence Council during the Napoleonic Wars, and a year later he was named president of this group after it was moved to Jumilla during an outbreak of yellow fever. As it transpired, though, Jumilla was not far enough away, and Musso himself became ill and had to leave his post.

On his recovery, having published his first philosophical work, he began a political career which saw him become Mayor of Lorca for a couple of years and an influential local figure for far longer. At the same time, he spent more and more time writing both fiction and philosophical works, and was also involved in the construction of flood protection barriers in the countryside of Lorca.

In 1827 he was admitted to the Real Academia Española, and he continued his studies and publications until his death in 1838: this followed the demises of both his mother and his wife, both from the yellow fever which seemed to dog José Musso throughout his life. Contemporaries noted that following the death of his 18-year-old daughter in 1837 he appeared to have little strength left.

Location

The Casa de José Musso Valiente is on Calle del Álamo, on side of Calle Lope Gisbert which is opposite the Plaza de Concha Sandoval and the Palacio de los Guevara and very close to the coat of arms of the García de Alcaraz family.

The house is not open for public visits but can be viewed externally.

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