The designation of “hanging houses” or “overhanging houses” has led to a sometimes arduous debate to name a row of houses that protrude from the terrain due to the scarcity of available land on a cliff. For this reason, in the following article we will try to shed light on the topic to reach a conclusion that allows us to lean towards one of the two designations.
In the Spanish language there are no complete synonyms; there is always some nuance that differentiates two denominations, even if they seem identical at first glance. On this matter, the Fundéu (Foundation for Urgent Spanish) responded to a user's question on the social network Twitter with the following statement:
“The justification is that the houses do not hang from anything, but they have overhangs and terraces in cantilever (“hanging”). Although “hanging” and “hanging,” from a linguistic point of view, can be synonyms.”
Fundéu, official Twitter account (10/10/2018)
At this point, consulting the RAE is a duty. The Royal Spanish Academy has a dictionary in which we can consult any doubts that arise. If we look up the verb “to hang,” its eleventh definition says: “Said of a building: To be built on the edge of a very steep slope.” So, after affirming that the use of this verb is appropriate, the participle that would define the situation of a house would be “hanging.”
While until now all voices indicate that “hanging houses” is the most accurate option, it isn't always so. In a blog with exclusive content about the city of Cuenca, there is an article titled «No Say “Hanging”: Say Hanging Houses», written by Eduardo Mayordomo in 2017 where he reaffirms what has been said until now. The debate arises in the comments, where I would like to highlight Máximo's intervention, who explains the following:
“The participle should be used to define the houses from the verb hang, of which there are two participles: the current participle in use: hanging, and the old active participle of hang: hanging. Therefore, both terms are valid […]”.
Eduardo Mayordomo Muñoz, 2017
The inhabitants of Cuenca have not given up their efforts to make the “Hanging Houses of Cuenca” known by this name, to such an extent that it is recorded in El Mundo, with a title referring to «A Resident of Cuenca Gets Google Maps to Correct Hanging Houses to Hanging Houses», being a requirement for Google Maps, forcing the change of denomination of this emblem of the city. He succeeded after receiving notification of the correction (El Mundo, 2020).
And it is that at this point we must make a distinction. In the case of this Manchegan town, where the name is already registered following the Declaration as Cultural Heritage in 2016 under the section of Monuments, another denomination different from “Hanging Houses of Cuenca” would be an error, as stated in the previously mentioned article and by Fundéu, which clearly states in a response to a user on the social network Twitter: «The appropriate (and official) term is Hanging Houses of Cuenca» (26 January 2018).
However, in other cases across Spanish geography where the same terrain topography occurs, the matter isn't as clear. As an example we have the town of Montoro in Córdoba province. If we perform a quick search on the internet, we will see how the difference in results for “hanging houses of Montoro” and “overhanging houses of Montoro” is minimal, with the balance slightly favoring the first option.
If the search takes place on official pages of the town, we see how the Town Hall of Montoro uses the denomination of «overhanging houses», while in routes elaborated to highlight the importance of the three cultures that have taken place in Montoro by José Ortiz, official chronicler, the term “hanging houses” is used.
As a summary of this great confusion of nomenclatures, in the case of this town in Córdoba province, the denominations are interchanged due to the little importance given to this heritage asset over the years, added to the thin line differentiating and the great debate between both denominations. One thing is clear: The Hanging Houses of Cuenca cannot be called anything else, as shown by the Resolution of the declaration of Cultural Heritage published in November 2016.
Comparison of the hanging houses of Cuenca and Montoro
The differences between both cases, Montoro and Cuenca, do not only limit to the level of protection and consideration that the Manchegan city receives, turning them into a symbol of the city that has been spread around the world through tourism campaigns, but there are other differences such as the geography of the terrain, with Cuenca's being much steeper due to the pronounced gorge at the passage of the Júcar river. Erosion has caused high rock walls giving greater verticality to the terrain. Montoro is located in a wider valley, although it is in contact with Sierra Morena, the cliff is not as steep as the Manchegan case, which could be considered an advantage due to its contrast with the surroundings.
The architectural style is also a differentiating element, Cuenca has maintained its original appearance of neoclassical style, while in Montoro we find contemporary-style buildings that are constantly changing due to their current function as private residences. On this last point, the ownership of the houses is varied in both towns; the Town Hall of Cuenca limited the hanging houses to three and acquired them in 1925, however in Montoro no study has been made on which and how many houses can be considered “hanging” and most of them are privately owned (except for the current Tourist Office and the former market).
Conclusion
The valorization of this architectural asset begins with its recognition by the inhabitants of Montoro; the landscape heritage is one of the most sensitive and most threatened that can harm an emblematic environment, thus, the historical valuation of buildings such as the former San Rafael Inn or the former San Antonio Inn and the diffusion of this landscape asset to the population is a start in this valorization.
Furthermore, the immutability of the environment is reflected in chronicles by writers since the 18th century, such as Antonio Ponz or Leopoldo Martínez y Reguera where they describe the appearance of those houses that seem to rest on top of each other. The writer and Hispanist Charles B. Luffman was the creator of the denomination “Toledo Andaluza” to refer to Montoro due to its similarities in orography and landscape. Thus, this landscape and architectural symbol has not gone unnoticed by all those who have stepped foot on this land at some point. In other words, the preservation and protection of this facade is essential for maintaining one of the greatest symbols of the locality; it is undoubtedly necessary to conserve and persist with this visual emblem whose beauty has been enjoyed by Montoreños and outsiders over centuries and generations.
Bibliography
FundéuRAE [@Fundeu]. (26 January 2018). The appropriate (and official) term is “hanging houses of Cuenca” [Tweet]. Available at: https://twitter.com/fundeu/status/956873245613051905?lang=es
El Mundo (2020). A Resident of Cuenca Gets Google Maps to Correct Hanging Houses to Hanging Houses. El Mundo Travel. Available at: https://www.elmundo.es/viajes/espana/2020/01/23/5e29644521efa0c26f8b4629.html
EFE (2016). Declaration of Cultural Heritage for the Hanging Houses, a symbol of Cuenca published. CLM 24. Available at: Declaration of Cultural Heritage for the Hanging Houses, a symbol of Cuenca (clm24.es)
FundéuRAE [@Fundeu] (13 January 2017). They can share many contexts but one is a participle [Tweet]. Available at: https://twitter.com/fundeu/status/819946787142242304
González Pardo, V. (2017). The protection of heritage as an element identifier of landscape and territory: The case of the Hanging Houses of Cuenca. P. 27. [Final Degree Project, Universitat Politècnica de València].
Mayordomo Muñóz, E.. (2017). I couldn't imagine that the people of Cuenca were so closed and aggressive. [Comment on the entry “Don’t say hanging: Say Hanging Houses”]. Available at: https://www.estoescuenca.com/no-diga-colgantes-diga-casas-colgadas/
Sánchez, A. (2022). The hanging houses of Montoro: valorization, approach to the term and tourist appeal. [Master's Thesis, University of Córdoba].
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