Kuiskaukset kuuluvat lähes 15 metrin etäisyydeltä
Santiago de Compostela has many secrets hidden within its iconic Alameda. One of them is the Acoustic Bench, also known as Barco dos Namorados (or Bench of the Lovers), a unique seat with a peculiar design: shaped like a semicircle, with a diameter of 14 meters and a depth of five meters. Its shape makes it one of the most ’magical’ places in the city: two people can whisper from one end of the bench to the other. This is possible because of its concave shape and the hardness of the granite, allowing the sound to bounce and travel from one end to the other with the same power as when it was emitted. This technique has been used since Ancient Greece and can be found in other structures known as ’whispering galleries’. Some of the most famous ones are the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Grand Central Station in New York, or the Sala de las Dos Hermanas in the Alhambra of Granada.
It was a stone auditoriumThe Bench dos Namorados was inaugurated in 1916 by the municipal architect Mariano Fernández Rangel, as part of an expansion plan for the Alameda park. Initially, this construction, which began two years earlier and cost 900 pesetas, was a stone auditorium for the performances of the municipal band. Inspired by the principles of acoustic physics. Since its inauguration, the bench has become a popular meeting point for couples. According to the people of Santiago de Compostela, lovers used to go there to share their secrets and promises of love. Over time, the Bench dos Namorados has become a symbol of love and romance in the city.