Casa Ovidio

Casa Ovidio,

1951-1985

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In 1940, a young man from Peñarroya (Córdoba) called Ovidio Roig Fernández signed on to play for Sevilla C.F., when he retired from playing football in 1951, he invested his savings in buying this establishment and changed its name from ‘La Covadonga’ to ‘Casa Ovidio’.

      In 1940, a young man from Peñarroya (Córdoba) called Ovidio Roig Fernández came to Seville to do his military service. Once he finished his service, he signed on to play for Sevilla C.F. where he played football several years. He married in Seville and, when he retired from playing football in 1951, he invested his savings in buying this establishment and changed its name from ‘La Covadonga’ to ‘Casa Ovidio’. During those years the street also changed its name from Panecitos to Calle Manuel Font de Ant, in memory of the famous musician, composer of the processional march ‘Amargura’, considered as the hymn of the ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week) in Seville.

Due to the proximity of San Lorenzo church and, since the Hermandad de la Soledad (a religious brotherhood) had no headquarters, a number of members of the brotherhood gathered in ‘Casa Ovidio’ to talk and have a few drinks after religious services.

As was previously mentioned, the Soledad brotherhood need headquarters, so D. Norberto Almandoz, Director of the Music Conservatory, offered some space in the conservatory’s basement to store the ‘paso’ (Holy Week float) and all the processional property of the brotherhood. These premises were effectively turned into the Casa Hermandad (the brotherhood headquarters), where every Friday, after services, literary gatherings connected to the brotherhood took place, with the participation of Joaquín Romero Murube, Antonio Petit, Miguel García Posadas, Luis Ortiz Muñoz and other distinguished members of the brotherhood, as well as the historian José María de Mena and the professor of declamation of the Sebastián Blanch Conservatory. During these gatherings, subjects related to the brotherhood were discussed, poetry was recited and all was accompanied by the typical glass of manzanilla (sherry) and cheese and Serrano ham tapas brought from the nearby ‘Casa Ovidio’.

In 1982, due to an increase of criminal behaviour, Ovidio’s shop was attacked by burglars several times and the owner, tired of the recurrent burglaries, decided to sell it. So it came to the hands of Vicente Romero & Bros, the young sons of D. José Romero, physician, who lived in front of the establishment.