Casa Terracota Villa de Leyva
Earlier this year I visited Villa de Leyva, a small colonial town in Colombia. Close to Villa de Leyva is Casa Terracota, the world’s largest piece of pottery! It is one of the coolest hidden gems I have ever visited.
Casa Terracota in Villa de Leyva is entirely made up of clay.
What is Casa Terracota?
Casa Terracota is a combination of art and architecture. The Colombian architect Octavio Mendoza made every part of the house out of clay. The clay that was used for the house was made right in the premises! It took the architect 20 years to complete the structure. Since he used only clay and heat to make it, he had to wait for sections of it to dry in the sun in order to build upon it. The building is 5,400 square feet and it holds beautiful decorations made out of metal, along with some mosaics that decorate parts of the inside of the house.
Where it is and how to get there
Casa Terracota is about 10 minutes by car or 30 minutes in you are walking from the Plaza Central (downtown) of Villa de Leyva. It was really easy to get there. I started to walk towards it, but since it started raining I caught a taxi at the main road and I did not have to wait long to catch one.
What guests can see at Casa Terracota
The premises of Casa Terracota include the house, the gardens, and a man made pond. The architect relied on the four elements - air, water, earth, and fire - to create the house. Unfortunately, due to covid restrictions we could not go inside the house, but we did get to see the outside. Through the windows we caught a few glimpses of the kitchen and the bathrooms, they were beautifully decorated with mosaic pieces.
The tour guide told us that the architect is an environmentalist and from the beginning intended for this house to be his residence. However, due to the way the house looks locals began to be intrigued by it. With time more and more people began to notice it and to come around to see it, so the architect agreed to have it become a tourist attraction even though that was not the initial purpose for this structure.
Before this trip, I had no idea that this place existed. Since I was only there for two days, I simply asked the locals “what is there to do around here?” and they recommended Casa Terracota, and it did not disappoint. Not only is it visually stunning, but its history is very interesting and at times comical (lots of funny things can happen when you work only with clay!)
The unconventional shapes, colors, and textures make this hidden gem truly unique and a must-see in this area of Colombia.
