The Bardín Legacy in Alicante
The name Bardín has left a lasting imprint on Alicante. Many recall the Bardín del Hércules Stadium in the Benalúa district, while others remember the Casa Bardín building, now home to the Juan Gil-Albert Alicante Cultural Institute. Yet the story runs deeper than two venues for sport and culture. Théophile René Bardin Delille (1858-1940) emerged as a prominent Alicante businessman by adoption, shaping the province through ventures from vineyard development to founding a regatta club. His initiatives helped knit together the region’s economic and social fabric.
80 years of Bardin
To honor this enduring influence, the Alicante Provincial Council has curated an exhibition that maps a historical footprint through the Bardín family. The display features rare photographs by the family that capture pivotal moments in Alicante’s development and prosperity. The show will open at the Provincial Palace from February 1 to April 30, inviting the public to walk through the city’s recent past.
The collection comprises 39 digital photographs, including 26 unpublished images in a 50 by 50 format, 11 images in 50 by 70, and two lightboxes printed in 100 by 80. Accompanying artifacts from the period, especially materials related to stereoscopic photography, enrich the narrative. Many images carry brief descriptions in Spanish, Valencian, and English to guide visitors through Alicante’s timeline.
People visited the exhibition wearing three dimensional glasses, as seen in archival notes from the display team. The presentation surveys Alicante’s early 20th century traditions, highlighting authentic representations of the city’s culture and landscapes from a bygone era. It also contextualizes social life as seen through the eyes of the Bardín family, including Teófilo René and his son René Bardín.
From period fishing gear to field work in the 1920s, the exhibit traverses a panorama of local life. It extends its reach to other towns such as Orihuela with its livestock fair and the streets of Sant Joan d’Alacant. A special focus is given to several unpublished photographs from Alfonso’s first visit to Alicante on April 14, 1905, and events like the Bonfires of 1931. The collection also introduces visitors to the world of stereoscopy, offering a sense of depth by presenting pairs of slightly offset images to be viewed together. Trendy cardboard anaglyph glasses enhance the depth, giving a subtle three dimensional feel to the photographs. This inventive approach makes the provincial display stand out for audiences today.
Heritage
The Bardín family’s influence began after the siege of Paris in 1870-1871, when the city occupied by Prussian troops and the Second French Empire collapsed. The family moved to Alicante where one member married Rosario Más, laying the foundation for a lasting legacy. In Alicante, Bardín became a major promoter of the stadium named Hércules, a self-financed project that fulfilled the city’s need for a large-capacity venue for sports events. The Bardín heritage extends across the L’Alacantí region, with Casa Bardin and Finca Villa Marco de El Campello serving as notable anchors for the Alicante Cultural Institute Juan Gil-Albert.
The opening ceremony was hosted at the Provincial Palace and included a reception by the city’s cultural leadership and the next generation of Bardíns. The exhibition is seen as a milestone in promoting Alicante’s cultural heritage while paying tribute to an influential local figure who left a mark across commerce, society, culture, and sport. This display underscores a broader narrative of how one family helped shape the province’s public life and its lasting memory in the city’s cultural landscape. [Citations: Provincial Council archival records, 1905-1931 events catalog, local cultural historians]