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From the market to the books

The origin: the land and the market

Casa Salvador, in the neighborhood of Capaspre, has been well documented since the 14th century. The first person that came down to the plains was “Guillermo Salvador” (William the Saviour), who developed an intense activity since 1341, the year in which he bought the first plot of the house and later in 1349, he acquired a plot of 8 canes per square meter: The privileges granted to the inhabitants of Calella in 1327 and then in 1338 were not foreign to our Buillem, the true founder of the “casa Salvador de Plaza”.

Others such as Salvador (Pere Antonio, Cipriano, Santiago, Narciso,...) followed suit with work that was always related to the land, to the market and to the fair of Calella, until the great Bernardo Salvador, known as Bernardino (1496-1541), who has been working in the accommodation sector with great impetus laying down the foundation for future expansion of the house by buying or establishing plots in the nearby land, also known as “la Clota". His nephew from the mother's side was priest Bartolomé Tejedor, who in 1503 created the blessing of Saint Elm and Saint Nicholas in the chapel of Saint Telmo of Calella, a recognition to the men of sea and the chance to place the priests of the Salvador family. Up till today, both his son Narciso and himself continue to work as innkeepers in Calella, especially his grandson, Bernat Melchor Salvador (1532-1579), who is recognized the privilege of having tables in the square, on market and fair days.

From the market to the books

The House is expanding, its appearance and many of the large windows, balconies and machicolation are from this period. His prestige was undoubted: an aunt of Bernat Melchor know by the name of Magdalene, would marry the local royal notary of Calella, Joan Boscà, a native of Mataró, in 1558. The son who came forth from this marriage, Bernat Boscà, also a notary,will play a crucial role in the writing of the book of privileges of the city of Calella. The next step was the social ascension: Felip Salvador (1576-1607) will already become merchant with a liberal professions and not just a plain innkeeper. The next generation will make this change more profound, the Calella branch of Felip Salvador will be linked to the world of books as apothecaries and physicians. The Barcelona branch has ties to the Bosca, will be, from Juan Salvador i Bosca born in 1598, a family of six eminent botanists (particularly Jaume Salvador i Pedrol). More modestly, people like Agustín Salvador wrote a great book of pharmacy in Calella, between 1705 and 1746, with clinical summaries about the families at the hospital.

The family and the “casa Salvador” already make up an important role of the medical profession, such as Francesc Salvador i Roig (1775-1795), or Francesc Salvador i Bofill, doctor in law, who will buy a courtyard to expand the house and to organize his file. The saga is closed with doctor Francesc Salvador and Sastre (1812-1864) and Josep Salvador i Alsina (1819-79).

Coincidence or not, just before entering the library, if you raise your head you will see a relief at the base of the left archivolt, it is a human figure with a book or document in his hands. Surely it is allegory of the Salvador family as pharmacist scholars and botany scientists with prestige and European recognition.