Look Up
Decoding D-Hall: A Taste of Spain
Castles and Lions
Castles and Lions
Why are there so many lions and castles? On both sides of the dining hall, beneath the banners of names and dates, you’ll find two lion emblems. It may seem easy to attribute this design element to a stylistic choice, but they are actually representative of the province of Castile and Leon in Spain.
Why does that matter? Juan Ponce de Leon, an explorer to here to St. Augustine and the hotel’s namesake, came from that very region. The emblems are a nod to his roots and to the Spanish influence in Florida’s early history. The castle and lion remain prominent symbols in Spanish heraldry today!
Proverbs
Proverbs
Six Spanish proverbs, short and clever sayings that diners may read and laugh at during meals, are displayed in the middle of the hall's ceiling. "De la mano a la boca se pierde la sopa" means "From the hand to the mouth, the soup is lost," according to one of them. It's a humorous way of emphasizing that if you're not careful, even easy activities can go wrong!
These sayings were a part of Spanish culture and combined wisdom and humor, which is exactly the kind of atmosphere Flagler aimed to create for his affluent visitors.