No visit to Barcelona is conceivable without encountering the masterpieces of one of Spain’s greatest architects, Antoni Gaudí. I don’t think you need to understand architecture, but if you visit Barcelona, I’m sure you’ll safely recognize his buildings too. I simply love this brilliant Catalan architect. 🙂 His buildings are not grey boxes. They are beautifully coloured, full of elements of mystique, unexpected materials and most importantly, you will find a lot of shapes inspired by nature. Just as in nature no lines are exactly straight as a ruler, so his buildings are twisted in different ways. In short, they are original and full of imagination.
Gaudí had an original view of the world that was full of imagination and new ideas. His style is truly unique and difficult to imitate. That is what makes him unforgettable. I admire his works and Gaudí himself because he showed his courage with these amazing buildings. The courage to break out! Let’s follow in the footsteps of this genius right here in Barcelona.
WHO WAS ANTONIO GAUDI?
People called him a fool. He was a vegetarian, a recluse, a dreamer, he loved geometry, he worshipped trees, he was a hard worker, and he was a philanthropist. To understand him, however, we must start at the beginning. You might have thought he was born in Barcelona, right? 🙂 The answer is: “NO!” 🙂 Not many people know that Antoni Gaudí was born as a fifth child in the Catalan town of Reus. He spent his childhood here, but at the age of 17 he went to Barcelona with his brother to study science. And as it happens, he was an average student at school. Apparently no one knew what a genius he would grow up to be. After passing all his exams, five years later he enrolled in architecture, where he received his diploma.
It should also be mentioned that as a child Gaudí was plagued by health problems. He had a difficult childhood full of illnesses, especially lung infections, which resulted in a prolonged rheumatic arthritis. Perhaps this also led to his becoming a vegetarian and his preference for homeopathic treatment. A curious story is told about him. Because of this disease, he was sometimes unable to stand on his feet, let alone walk. In order to get to his beloved nature, for example, he walked on a cane or rode a donkey.
DO YOU KNOW GAUDI’S BUILDINGS?
His buildings are to Barcelona what the Charles Bridge is to Prague or the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. He loved nature and this is reflected in his works. He also liked to use ceramics in his façade decoration. In his work there is the so-called technique of trencadís, or broken tiles, which he used to create mosaics.
CASA VICENS
The first important commission and building Gaudí designed was the Casa Vicens, a residential building for Manuel Vicens, a manufacturer and brickworks owner. It is a kind of fairy-tale piece of the Orient in the middle of a concrete city. Standing outside, it’s not clear at first what might be inside.
It is said that Gaudí created this work during his Orientalist period. In this building you will find Catalan, Islamic, Japanese and English inspirations and techniques.
This Moorish-inspired summer residence sits on a small plot of land, but the entire house is spread over four floors. Standing in front of the museum today, why here? 🙂 Why so far from the centre? 🙂 The house was originally built as a resting place when this part of Barcelona, Gràcia, was a separate town. At that time, the house had a large plot of land, which today is just a small garden.
The basement was originally planned as a cellar, but in recent years it has functioned more as a rehearsal room where musical performances were also held.
The house is built of stone and also of red brick, but mainly of colourful ceramic tiles in a checkerboard style with a floral pattern. The house took 5 years to build and the owner found himself on the bankruptcy side several times to get the house completed. But even that didn’t deter him from completing the house.
In 2005, the building was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and then gradually opened to the public.
FATEFUL MEETING WITH EUSOBIO GÜELL
The year of his graduation brought another life change for Gaudí. At the World Exhibition in Paris, his design for a glass display case for the Barcelona glove manufacturer of the wealthy Catalan industrialist Eusobio Güell caught the eye. He became not only the young man’s lifelong friend, but above all a generous patron. It was he who introduced the unknown architect to high society. Who knows how many architectural gems Barcelona would have lost had it not been for him. The two men immediately hit it off and became lifelong friends. Gaudí became Güell’s “court” architect, working on designs for such small things as the laundry and drying room in the attic of Güell’s family home. Gaudí was lucky enough not to have to limit himself. On the contrary. Güell really supported him as much as he could.
THE PALACE GÜELL
Large orders did not wait long. Such was the palace that Güell had built in a narrow side street at the bottom of the famous Las Ramblas. It was a rather strange place, considering that at the time it was a district of prostitutes, transvestites, bohemians.
It was possible to meet Picasso, for example, who had his studio above the infamous Eden. The Güell Palace is not to be missed. The gate, decorated with a huge metal sculpture, already gives the impression that this is an extraordinary building.
PARK GÜELL
This fabulous park is located north of Barcelona city centre on the slopes of the Turó del Carmel. You can get there by metro to Vallcarca station. And from there, it’s a nice hill to climb. You’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of the city. The park is quite large, but there’s no need to worry, it’s a very nice walk.
Did you, like me, wonder who had the idea to build this park? One day, the industrialist Eusebia Güell came up with the idea of building a garden city with luxury housing for the wealthy citizens of Barcelona. It was a plot of land enclosed by a high wall and guarded by security guards. Gaudí proposed to divide the land into 60 plots, i.e. for 60 families. However, the project failed because no one was interested in this type of housing at the time. Unfortunately, only two plots were sold, one of which was bought by Güell and the other by Gaudí himself. In the park you will find their 2 houses where Eusebi Güell lived and the house where the Catalan architect Gaudí lived. The gingerbread house style building is now used as a museum for the artist. And so a fairytale park was created on the site of the garden city.
The park itself has the character of a nature park and is home to trees typical of the Mediterranean. Among the trees, pine, cedar, cypress, bird’s beak, olive and laurel trees predominate. And of course there are palm trees.
Among Gaudí’s buildings in the park, the entrance gate made of wrought-iron bars with two houses on the sides, one of which was to serve as a reception and the other as a doorman’s apartment, will definitely catch your eye.
The main landmark is a wide staircase with a fountain in the middle. On the first floor, a dragon spouts water and is entirely inlaid with mosaics. However, one of the most popular attractions of the park is its colourful guardian (lizard) El Drac. Although his name sounds like the terrifying Spanish mafioso El Drac, this mosaic creature is a favorite in the park. Almost everyone who visits the park doesn’t miss the opportunity to take a photo or selfie with this iconic lizard.
Above it you will find the so-called Hall of a Hundred Columns, where various artists usually play or sing for the pleasure of tourists. If you decide to count the columns, you will find that there are actually 86 columns.
A large terrace extends over the columns. There is a very nice view of the city with an endless bench. And what do I mean? In short, the lookout is lined with a long line of seating that is inlaid with glazed ceramic or glass mosaics around its perimeter.These are actually originally designed benches.
CASA BATLLÓ
The whole house is beautiful not only from the outside but also from the inside. Many elements imitate a piece of living nature.
It is a rental house. The first floor belonged to the owner of the house. This apartment is the largest and most luxurious. You’ll find, for example, a beautiful chandelier that resembles a conch shell. All the time you will be accompanied by very pleasant varnished wood.
On the other floors there are private apartments. It is possible to go around them by a staircase illuminated by a skylight to the attic and the roof terrace. The whole staircase seems to be the backbone of the house. Along the way, you will come across beautiful tiles. It’s a wonderful play of light and shadow.
CASA MILÁ
Casa Milà is located at the intersection of Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Provenca. Following the success of Casa Battlo, the aristocrat Pere Milà Camps asked Gaudí for a house for his future wife, the wealthy widow Rosarie Sagismòn. Gaudí’s favourite dragon heads can also be found here on the roof. This massive and unadorned building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It resembles a smooth natural rock interspersed with windows and looks very graceful.
The house is better known in Barcelona as La Pedrera, which means quarry in Catalan. The house earned this designation during its construction by embarrassed Barcelonans. However, the house was not completed according to the original plan due to disagreements between Gaudí and Pere’s wife, who did not want Christian themes. In fact, a statue of an angel and a 25-metre high Rosary Madonna were to be placed on the roof. Therefore, Gaudí stopped the construction in 1910.
SAGRADA FAMÍLIA CATHEDRAL
Gaudí’s greatest and most famous work is the Sagrada Família. It became an obsession for him. Gauidi devoted his entire life to it, not knowing that it would become the symbol of the city and the oldest building site in the world. The cathedral is situated between two parks northeast of the centre, between C. de Provenca and C. de Mallorca streets. The Sagrada Família metro stop is right next to the temple and bears its name.
The original idea came from bookseller Joseph Mario Bocabello, a learned and dedicated man who founded the Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph. His goal was to save a Catholic church under the protection of St. Joseph. He went to Rome to visit the Holy Father, and on his way back via Loreto, a church caught his eye. It was this that inspired him to design his own church, to stand in Barcelona, dedicated to the Holy Family and a replica of the Italian one.
Bocabella began to look for a suitable site for the temple in the centre and almost got it. The Duchess of Almenara Alta was going to give him the land she owned, but before she could do so, she died. So he had no choice but to choose from the plots that were further away from the centre, as his budget was not very large. Eventually he managed to get the land.
The architect Francisco de Paula del Villar offered to create a plan for the church for free. However, his design was entirely in neo-Gothic style. The first stone was laid on 19 March 1882, the feast of St. Joseph. Gaudí did not officially take over the reconstruction until 1883 and became the main architect when he was only 31 years old. However, Gaudí modified the project and opened the moat around the tomb, allowing sunlight to penetrate.
It was the small budget that resulted in the slow construction of the building. However, this did not prevent Gaudí from fully immersing himself in the creation. He didn’t see it as a job, but as a passion, a devotion to the God he loved so much. In its final form, the Sagrada Família was to represent the mystical body of Christ. The work of Jesus Christ, his life, death and resurrection are depicted on the facades of the temple.
Construction proceeded slowly and at length. In recent years it has been at its best because all the entrance fees collected from thousands of tourists go directly into the funds for its completion, so you can see cranes lifting large chunks of building material up to the stars. The building is rich in Christian symbols among its 18 towers. These represent the 12 apostles, the 4 evangelists, the Virgin Mary and the tallest, which is to be topped by a huge cross, will be dedicated to Jesus Christ. The towers of the Evangelists are to have emblems – statues that are symbols of these saints. Thus St. Luke is to have a statue of a bull, St. Matthew of an angel, St. John of an eagle, and St. Mark of a lion.
Gaudí dedicated most of his life to this “oldest junkyard in the world“. In recent years, this recluse, devoted only to his work, even spent the night here. Even today, the builders are trying to stick to Gaudí’s original plans and sketches and complete this magnificent building in his spirit. However, many doubt that the recently completed façade, which represents the Passion of Christ, is similar to Gaudí’s style and idea. After all, we know that Gaudí loved colour, decoration, glass and ceramics. It is possible that it would have been full of colour and would not have remained all natural beige if he were still with us.
At Gaudí’s request, the cathedral is being built only with money donated and collected from admission fees, so it is not scheduled for completion until 2026. But as the architect himself said, “My client is in no hurry!” 🙂
Gaudi’s death came unexpectedly. At the age of 74, Gaudí was hit by a tram in the street in front of the cathedral. He was unkempt, wearing only tattered and torn clothes. That’s why the taxi driver Gaudí flagged down refused to take him to the hospital. In the end, Gaudí ended up in a poor hospital, where he unfortunately did not receive adequate care. When his friends eventually found him and tried to move him to a better hospital, he refused their help, saying that he was one of the poor. Gaudí died three days later in Barcelona. He was buried in his cathedral, the Sagrada Familia.
And as it happens, he received admiration and recognition only after his death. All his buildings have been inscribed on the UNESCO list. The Vatican is even in the process of beatifying Gaudí. That is, he should be the second artist in history to be beatified.
I think that today Gaudí’s works evoke in many of us what his name means in Catalan: “JOY”! ♥
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