The Historic Riviera

A SPANISH ROYAL IN THE GABLES

In 1985 an elderly lady of nearly 80, living with her sister in a modest home at 722 Cadima Ave. in Coral Gables, received an unexpected invitation. The invitation, which came from King Juan Carlos of Spain, invited her to a royal funeral at the El Escorial Monastery. The ceremony was for the entombment of His Royal Highness Alfonso of Borbon, Prince of the Asturias, the heir to the Spanish throne, and later styled the Count of Covadonga. What made the royal invitation unusual was that Edelmira Sampedro-Robato, the lady in question, was not only that that she had once been wed to Alfonso, or that in 1933 the prince had renounced his rights to the abolished Spanish throne in 1933 to marry her, that the couple had divorced in 1937 after a tempestuous marriage of four years, but that Alfonso had, by 1985, been dead for nearly 40 years. If those reasons were not enough for her surprise, Alfonso, shortly before his untimely death had remarried, and divorced. Edelmira respectfully dec...

History of the Museum

In 2003, the non-profit Coral Gables Museum Corp. was formed under the leadership of the City of Coral Gables to direct and operate a museum in the Old Police and Fire Station. In 2008, work began in earnest on the restoration, renovation and expansion of the 1939 WPA building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The architect Jorge Hernandez together with Dooley Mack Constructors led the historic preservation project. On October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), Museum staff occupied the building and reopened it to the public. In November 2011, the Coral Gables Museum unveiled the inaugural exhibits and began its first year of full operation. In 2013, the Coral Gables Museum became the Official Visitor Center for the City Beautiful. The Museum is a true public/private partnership between the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Museum Corp., a private, not for profit 501.c.3 corporation operating an educational cultural institution within a City owned facility. ...

DADE COUNTY SLASH PINE

Dade County Slash Pine (known by naturalists as Pinus Elliottii) was one of the most important pine species in Southern Florida. The tree played a pivotal role in early Miami’s ecological landscape and helped shape the industries which would contribute to the city’s population boom in the early twentieth century. The timber proved to be of great use for pioneers, developers, and industrialist alike. The wood is resistant to both rot and termites and is known to be one of the hardest lumber products in the world. In fact, the tree was in such high demand that it was over-harvested to near-extinction. The Pine Rocklands once covered 185,000 acres of Miami-Dade County. By the time the city of Miami celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996, only 2% of the pine forest remained. Slash Pine, which grows up to 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter, would have been one of the dominating features encountered by Miami’s first settlers. In fact, the pine trees would have been...

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