Sunday Morning, May 10, 1964


Authentic Reproduction Of Period




Furniture Given Llambias House


The restoration project of the
Fernandez-Llambias House has
received a great boost in the form
)f authentic reproductions of fur-
iture, handmade in Mahon, Is-
and of Minorca, especially for the
house, announces the St. Augus-
ine Historical Society.
Gifts to the Society from Don
Fernando Rubio Tuduri of Ma-
hon, a native Minorcan, the col-
lection includes many attractive
pieces which prove a great asset
to the dwelling, located at 31 St.
Francis Street.
Among the items given to the
Society by Don Rubio are a drop-
leaf table and. 10 chairs, now
placed in the first floor room of
the house. They are authentic re-
productions of period pieces.
However, this was not the first
gift from Don Rubio, for in 1957
he presented to the Society the
mage, of Nuestra Senora de
onte Toro, Patroness of Minor-
a. Blessed by the Bishop of Min-
rca, it holds a position bf promi-
ence in the Fernandez-Llambias
house, a greatly treasured addi-
ion to the home's furnishings.
Other items which were. pro-
ided for the home include white
ur rugs made from goat skins,
spirit lamps, an old antique chest,
colored maps and numerous wa-
tercolor paintings, -of which an
outstanding one, is that of a
woman in the native Minorcan
dress.


Also presented were complete
native costumes for both a man
and a woman, and it is planned
that in the near. future wax fig-
ures may be secured to display
the costumes.
A native of Minorca with his
central home atMongofre Nou,
sle of Minorca, Don Rubio is a
medical doctor, who is not pres-
mtly active, in his profession. He
s the owner of Andromachus
laboratories, Ltd., a wholesale
rug company with offices in 20
countries of the world.
Initial plans for construction of
the period furnishings by Mahon
craftsmen for the Llambias
House were made during Don
Rubio's visit to St. Augustine in
1958. Upon this occasion, in an
address to the St. Augustine His-
torical Society concerning Minor-
ca, he informed the Society that
he would furnish the Llambias
house with specially made furni-
ture of replicas of furniture
which would have been in a mid-
dle-class Minorcan home in 1780.
This 1958 visit, however, was
not the first time Don Rubio had
been to this city, for he first
came to St. Augustine in 1956,
when he accompanied his close
friend, Francisco Sifites, the di-
rector-general of Spanish Na-
tional Archives. After this ini-
tial visit, Don Rubio became in-
tensely interested in cultivating
a close tie with St. Augustine
and particularly with descend-
ants of the early Minorean fam-
ilies.
The history of the Fernandez-
Llambias house is a very inter-
esting one, for its origin dates
to the` First Spanish period. In
1763, when Florida was ceded to
Great Britain, Pedro Fernandez
owned the coquipa house on this
site, and indications are that it
was a typical one-story Spanish
colonial structure, enlarged to
two stories under British own-
ership.
Restored in 1954 by the St.
Augustine Restoration and Pres-
ervation Association, under the,
supervision of Stuart Barnette,
restoration architect, the mainte-
nance of the house and grounds
is the responsibility of the St.
Augustine Historical Society.
Don Fernando Rubio Tuduri's
interest in the Fernandez-Llam-
bias house relates to the Menor-
can story of the dwelling. In
1768 a large group of colonists,
many from the Island of Min-
orca, were settled in New Smyr-
na. However, the venture failed,
and, nine years later, the re-
maining settlers moved to St.
Augustine.
Then, during the Second Span-
ish period, 1784-1821, St. Augus-
tinians of Minorcan descent first
occupied the residence. Juan An-
dreu, a native of Mercadal, Is-
land of Minorca, was the first.
He was one of the New Smyrna
colonists who had come to St.
Augustine in 177.
Hhe house then remained in
the Andreu family's possession
until after the cession of Florida
to the United States,. and, later,
it was purchased by Peter and
Joseph Manucy, whose father
had come to New Smyrna from
Mahon.
In 1854, the Manucys sold the
home to Catalina Ilambias, who
retained the dwelling for some
65 years.
On Don Rubio's last visit.
which occurred earlier this year,
he told X. L. Pellicer, past presi-
dent of the St. Augustine His-
torical Society and long-time So-
ciety member, of his plans to
send to the Society furniture to
complete the upstairs bedroonm:s
of the Llambias house.
The Society feels quite fortu-


Miss Helen Schmidt, wearing a Minorcan head dress; W.
I. Drysdale, member of the St. Augustine Historical Society
Board of Directors; Mrs. F. A. Huici, in Spanish dress, Don
Rubio and X. L. Pellicer, past president of the Society and
long-time member, are pictured seated in the first floor


room of the Fernandez-Llambias house, admiring the au-
thentic reproductions of period pieces. Handmade in Mi<
norca especially for the Fernandez-Llambias house, the
furniture and many other articles were gifts from Doar
Rublo.


~~~lsI I="c~";liT~

-, -- 11
I -


The IFernandez-Llambias House, pictured here, located at
31 St. Francis Street, in the oldest house area, received a

great boost in its restoration project by the gift of authentic
reproductions of period pieces hand-made in Minorca es-
pecially for the dwelling. The gifts were presented by Don
Fernando Rubio Tuduri of Mahon, Island of Minorca.


nate to have Don Rubio take
such an active interest in this
restoration project, reports Mr.
Pellicer, as this furniture will
add so much to this home. "When
completed," observes Mr. Pelli-
cer, "the Fernandez Llambias
house will be one of the show
places of the city for both its
beauty and for the story of the
heritage of the Minorcan people
which it will transmit to all who
visit the Llambias House."



Best Sellers

Fiction
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM
THE COLD-John Le Carre
THE GROUP--Mary McCarthy
THE W APSHOT SCANDAL-
John Cheever
CONVENTION-Fie lclher Knebel
and Charles W. Bailey II
THE VENETIAN AFFAIR-
Helen Mafcnnes
VON RYAN'S EXPRESS-David
Westheimer
THE MARTYRED-Richard E.
Killn
THE NIGHT (OF THE GENERAL '
-Hans Hellmurt Klirs
THE NIGHT IN LISBON-Erich
Maria Remnarque
THE SHOES I i-F T :HE FISHER-
\AN-Morris West
.Nonfiction
FOUiR DAYS-American Heritage
and U'.P.I.
DAY IN THE TI-l TI : OIrF T'EI- I-
DENT KENNEDY-.im Bishop
PROFILES IN COURAGE
-John F Kennedy
D ILO(;MT AO NGr \VA RRm [I"
MY Y-EA.RS \V1' I .; !-.'N1:1AL
OT!)RS<- Aylf'cd S],.;'n Jr.
THE )El-:'l-TY-R-P.f H- iiut
THE NAKEI1 SOC IET Y-Van.
Packard
THE GREEN FELT JI-NGLE-
Ed Reid and vl;d Demar:s
.I.F -. THJF _-\N ANF- THE
MYIH-Vi I.a.-
\\ HEN THI : I N S
I'ElT THI ,yAT I':.\ .
\\0 0I>RO V \\ ILSJN-Ge;-.
Smith


A Minorcan craftsman is pictured in his Mahon workshop'
as he readies a chair to be sent to this city for use in the
Fernandez-Llambias house. Items sent include authentic.
reproductions of a drop-leaf table and 10 chairs, as well
as many watercolor paintings, an old antique chest, several
white fur rugs made of goat skins and complete native cos-
tumes for both a man and a woman.


V..* I


'I


Mr. Pellicer. Mr. Drysdale and Don Rubio are shown here with the image of Nuestra
Senora de Monte Toro, Patroness of Minorca, a gift from Don Rubio for the Llambias
HIouse. The statue was given to the Society in 195 7 by Don Rubio, after it had been blessed
by the Bishop of Minorca.


_ __ ___


~.


--~-~-~-


"THE ST. AUGIUSTINE RECORD


I ;--------.c~_;.. ~.. ~


r