Rio Tinto Company: Suburban England in the heart of Huelva

The British have left their mark in numerous towns and cities in Andalucía, but none so much as the legacy that can be found in Huelva. The English connection began when a British investment group brought the Riotinto copper mines in 1873, which later became the Rio Tinto Company Limited.

The mines were acquired by an international consortium created by three powerful families, the Mathesons, Rothschilds and Goldschmidts, and the purchase was accompanied by a concession from the Spanish government that would allow the British company to build a railroad linking Riotinto with the port of Huelva.

They stayed in Huelva for several decades and left an English legacy that is evident in the architecture, in particular, in Barrio Reina Victoria, located in the urban centre.

Built in 1916 by the mining company to house its employees, the area was designed like a mini version of suburban England, consisting of Victorian-style houses with lawns and rose bushes, while the streets had ornate English street lights and the classic red telephone boxes.

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The district was named in honour of the then Queen of Spain, Victoria Eugenia de Battenberg, and not, as many believe, Queen Victoria of England.

Of course, the influx of British workers also introduced many of their customs, such as afternoon tea, tennis, and football. The Spanish interest in football resulted in the country's first club, Real Club Recreativo de Huelva, being founded in 1889 on the initiative of the Scottish doctor, William Alexander Mackay.

This British influence has not only been preserved in the architecture; there is also a museum, Casa Museo de Los Ingleses (English house museum), a reconstruction of the homes used by the directors of the mining company, with typical English-style rooms with antique furnishings.