Spanish city with quaint Gaudi houses. Barcelona❤️Gaudi: tour of the last private apartment in Casa Mila

The outstanding Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi is rightly called a genius. This man had a sparkling creative imagination, he knew how to amazingly mix different styles, and his projects were often called architectural madness.

The beginning of the creative path of Antonio Gaudi

Young Gaudi arrived in Barcelona in the mid-19th century. Here he began working as a draftsman and studied crafts. The capital of Catalonia at that time looked in a neo-Gothic style.

As his first projects, the young architect worked on the creation of the summer mansion El Capriccio on the territory of the Cantabrian coast and the private residential House Vicens. These buildings were designed by Gaudí in a modern style. The architect used raw stone and ceramic tiles to build the Vicente House. He used these materials to create floral and checkerboard patterns. Vicente's house is decorated with bay windows and turrets, protruding balconies and facades fenced with unusually shaped bars.

The El Capriccio mansion is a unique building that offers picturesque views of the valley and the sea. For its cladding, Gaudi used multi-colored ceramic tiles and bricks.

Gaudí's main architectural projects

The aspiring architect began to be patronized by the textile magnate Eusebi Güell, who really liked Gaudi’s extraordinary architectural projects. Now Antonio could fully demonstrate his unique talent, without following generally accepted rules and without limiting the flight of his imagination. Gaudi began developing his own recognizable style. He took on the construction of the Palace Güell, which the philanthropist eventually received as a gift from his ward. This building is considered one of the best works of the architect.

Gaudi worked on the creation of a palace on the street. Carrer Nou de La Rambla. Now it is under the protection of UNESCO. When developing his project, the architect managed to combine flat Byzantine vaults with decorative steel structures. The gates for the passage of horse-drawn carriages served as a bright decorative element. The same can be said about carved decorative ceilings, decorated with silver and gold details. The chimneys on the roof of the building have different shapes and look like unusual figures.

The interiors of the palace feature unusual furniture specially made for them, luxuriously furnished rooms with multi-colored chimneys, and grandiose parabolic arches.

After completing work on Palais Guell, Gaudi became a famous architect in the city and received many orders from wealthy Barcelona residents. He created unusual residential buildings for them that were different from each other. For example, Casa Mila, which is located at the point where Carrer de Provenza and Passeig de Gràcia Boulevard intersect, was created by the architect for the Mila family. This is the first building of the 20th century to be protected by UNESCO.

- the main project of the great architect, thanks to which he became known in all corners of the world. The construction of the temple was initially entrusted to the unknown architect Francesco Villar, as well as his assistant Joan Mortarello. A few years later the architects were replaced by Antoni Gaudi.

The construction of the cathedral has not been completed to this day. Modern architects will have to deal with its interior decoration, erecting domes, extensions and grandiose towers. The Spanish government has promised that construction of the temple will be completed by 2026.

The architect constantly worked to improve the plan of the cathedral. He changed it several times. Work on the construction of the cathedral often stopped. At the same time, in the northern part of the city you can now see a unique Christian temple, which looks like a stalactite cave.

This religious building surprises with its architectural ensemble. Gaudi managed to complete the creation of the Nativity façade, which includes three portals that are symbols of Orthodox shrines - Faith, Hope and Love. They are decorated with sculptures depicting biblical scenes. For example, above the Portal of Hope there is a scene of the betrothal of Joseph and Mary, as well as Mount Montserrat, which is a famous Catalan shrine. All towers have an unusual shape and symbolize the apostles. To decorate the bell towers, spiers were used, which are decorated with stylized images symbolizing the episcopal rank. The cathedral's exterior decor features biblical quotations and liturgical texts. The interior design of the temple is distinguished by smooth lines and geometric models presented in the form of an ellipsoid, conoid, helicoid, hyperbolic paraboloid and hyperboloid. The cathedral is decorated with stars, helical staircases, hyperbolic vaults and round stained glass windows.

The great architect passed away at the age of 74. He was hit by a tram that was passing near the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Gaudi's burial place was a crypt in an unfinished temple.

Bellesguard Tower

Near Mount Tibidabo you can see the Bellesguard Tower. This is a small but significant architectural work by Gaudí with straight lines of the façade. For the interior design of this object, the architect used his characteristic architectural eccentricities, which inspired him with medieval legends associated with the King of Catalonia, Marti the Merciful. It was he who named this city Barcelona. For Gaudi, this object turned into a testing ground for his own innovations, which the architect later used in the construction of the Sagrada Familia.

The customer for the construction of the tower in 1900 was the wealthy widow Maria Sages. They began to build it on the site where the destroyed palace of King Marti had previously been located. The work was completed in 1909. It is worth noting that the Bellesguard courtyard contains the ruins of the royal palace, before which there was a medieval castle with catacombs where the legendary Catalan robber Sierralonga was hiding. Now the Giler family lives in the tower house, which opened this building for tourists in 2013.

The word "Bellesguard" translates as "beautiful view."

The tower house has the features of a medieval castle, consisting of a gallery of the top floor protected by battlements, miniature semicircular balconies that are decorated with stone festoons, narrow long loophole windows and powerful walls. The architect installed a three-dimensional cross on the tower.

The tower is built with a square-shaped base, all sides of which are 15 m long. The house has elevated floors. Because of this, the effect of a soaring tower is created. The entrance to the house is decorated with three balconies, which are highlighted by openwork metal forging, curious pediment masonry and mosaic benches with fish. The inside of the tower is quite spacious and sunny. The room is decorated with numerous colored stained glass windows, anthropomorphic ceilings, ceramic tiles, forged parts and other outlandish accents that the architect loved so much.

The tower is surrounded by a small picturesque garden with a gatekeeper's house, trellises and a water pump. The adjacent street is home to a viaduct, similar to a load-bearing wall, designed by Gaudí.

A spiral staircase takes you to the tower, where you can admire the cityscape, Sarria district and Mount Tibidabo.

Also, for a more detailed acquaintance with the legacy of the great architect, it is worth visiting the Gaudí Space Museum, the architect’s house museum and Casa Batlló.

In the 70s of the 19th century, young Gaudi moved to Barcelona. After 5 years of preparatory courses, Gaudí was accepted into the Provincial School of Architecture, from which he graduated in 1878.

In 1870-1882, Antoni Gaudi worked as a draftsman, unsuccessfully participating in competitions. He learned the trades, doing many small jobs (fencing, lanterns, etc.) and designing furniture for his own home.

At this time, the neo-Gothic style began to flourish in Europe, and young Gaudi enthusiastically followed advanced ideas. The declaration “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture” proclaimed by the followers of the neo-Gothic style completely coincided with the ideas of Gaudi, who over time developed his own, completely unique architectural style.

Gaudi architecture

At the beginning of Gaudi's work, influenced by the architecture of Barcelona and the architect Martorell, he built his first buildings, richly decorated: “stylistic twins” - the elegant Casa Vicens () and the fancy El Capriccio (Comillas, Cantabria); also a compromise House of Calvet (Barcelona) in a pseudo-baroque style. At the same time, Gaudí was making a project in a restrained Gothic, even “serf” style - the School at the Monastery of St. Teresa (), as well as an unrealized project for the buildings of the Franciscan Mission in Tangier; neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga (Castilla, Leon) and the House of Botines (Leon).

A decisive role in Gaudi’s implementation was played by the architect’s meeting with Eusebi Güell, with whom he became friends. This textile magnate, the richest man, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget.

Gaudi designs pavilions for the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona for the Güell family; wine cellars in Garraf, chapels and crypts of Colonia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelho); fantastic().

Over time, Gaudi developed his own style, where there was not a single straight line. The construction of Palais Güell turned Gaudí into Barcelona's most fashionable architect, soon becoming an "almost unaffordable luxury". For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other: a space that is born and develops, expanding and moving, like living matter - Casa Mila; a living, trembling creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy - Casa Batllo.

The clients, who were ready to spend half a fortune on construction, initially believed in the genius of the architect, who was paving a new path in architecture.

Death of Gaudi

Gaudi died at the age of 73. On June 7, 1926, he left home on his daily journey to the Church of Sant Felip Neri, of which he was a parishioner. As he walked absent-mindedly along the Gran Via de las Cortes Catalanes between Girona and Bailén streets, he was hit by a tram and Gaudí lost consciousness.

Cab drivers refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money or documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Still, Gaudi was taken to a hospital for the poor, where he was given only primitive medical care. Only the next day the chaplain found and identified him. By that time, Gaudi's condition had already deteriorated so much that the best treatment could not help him.

Gaudi died on June 10, 1926 and was buried two days later in the crypt of the cathedral he had not completed.

Gaudi architecture in Barcelona:

Casa Batllo i Casa Novas

Casa Batllo(cat. Casa Batlló), also called "House of Bones"- a residential building built in 1877 for textile magnate Josep Batllo i Casanovas at , 43 in the district, and rebuilt by the architect Antoni Gaudí in 1904-1906.

Even before finishing the construction work, Gaudi received an order to remodel an apartment building owned by the family of the wealthy textile manufacturer Josep Batllo i Casanovas and located next to the modernist Amalle house. The owner of the house intended to demolish the old building from 1875 and build a new one in its place, but Gaudi decided otherwise.

Architecture of Casa Batllo

Gaudí retained the original structure of the house, adjacent to the side walls of two neighboring buildings, but designed two new facades, the main one from the side, and the rear one into the block. In addition, Gaudí completely remodeled the lower floor and mezzanine, making original furniture, and adding a basement, attic and asotea (stepped roof terrace). Two light shafts were combined into a single courtyard, which improved daylighting and ventilation of the building. The idea of ​​​​giving special importance to the courtyard of light, first realized in the Casa Batllo, was used by Gaudí during the construction At home Mila.

Many researchers of Gaudi's work recognize that the reconstruction of Casa Batllo is the beginning of a new creative stage for the master: from this project, Gaudi's architectural projects will be built on the basis of his own vision, without regard to accepted norms and styles.

Features of Casa Batllo

A distinctive feature of Casa Batlló is the almost complete absence of straight lines in its architecture. The decor of the façade is made of cut stone quarried on Barcelona's Montjuïc hill, as well as the interior design - everything is done on the basis of wavy lines. They interpret the appearance of the facade in very different ways, but in general they agree that the main facade is an allegory of the dragon - Gaudi’s favorite character, whose image was used in many of his creations. The victory of the patron saint of Catalonia, St. George, over the dragon may be an allegory of the victory of good over evil. The sword of St. George, pierced into the “backbone of the dragon”, is presented in the form of a turret topped with a St. George’s cross, the façade of the building depicts the sparkling “scales” of the monster and is strewn with the bones and “skulls” of its victims, which can be seen in the shapes of the mezzanine columns and balconies.

As is typical for Gaudí, every detail in Casa Batlló is carefully thought out. Pay attention to the design of the light palace, where Gaudi created a special play of chiaroscuro. To achieve uniform illumination, the architect gradually changes the color of the ceramic cladding from white to blue and blue, deepening it from bottom to top, adding a real splash of azure to the finishes of chimneys and ventilation pipes. For the same reason, the size of the windows facing the patio also changes, gradually decreasing with height. The elegant attic of the house is based on the parabolic arches used by Gaudí in other projects.

Casa Batllo decor

All the decor of the house is made by the best masters of applied art. The forged elements were made by the blacksmiths Badia brothers, the stained glass windows were made by glass blower Josep Pelegri, the tiles were made by P. Pujol i Bausis son, and other ceramic parts were made by Sebastian i Ribot. The cladding of the main façade was entirely manufactured in Manacor (Mallorca island). The furniture created by Gaudí during the interior design is now part of the collection in Park Guell.

Casa Batllo, together with Casa Amalle and Casa Lleo Morera, is part of "The Quarter of Discord", so named because of the stylistic heterogeneity of the modernist buildings that form it.

Casa Batlló was declared an Artistic Monument of Barcelona in 1962, a Monument of National Importance in 1969, and included in the List in 2005.

Visit Casa Batllo in Barcelona:

• Website: www.casabatllo.es
• Opening hours: daily 9 - 19 (last entry at 20:00)
• Directions: 7, 16, 17, 22, 24 and 28. Barcelona Tourist Bus (North & South) stop Casa Batlló – Fundació Antoni Tàpies.| Barcelona Tourist Bus (North & South) stop Casa Batlló – Fundació Antoni Tàpies.| Metro: Passeig de Gràcia station: L2, L3 and L4.
• Audio guide - included in the ticket price. Available in Russian.
• Entrance:
  • adults: 21.5€
  • students and pensioners > 65 years old: 18.5€
  • 7 - 18 years: 18.5€
  • children under 7 years old - free
  • Night visit (21:00) - 29€

House Mila

At the corner with Carrere de Provenca (Provenca Street) stands the main boulevard - Mila's house(Casa Milà, Provença, 261-265, Passeig de Gratia, 92). This building by Antoni Gaudi resembles a work of sculpture more than a work of architecture.

Architecture of Casa Mila

The six-story house looks like a huge rock, its window and door openings resemble grottoes, and the wrought-iron balcony bars are made in the shape of fantastic plants. The house is often called La Pedrera, that is, “The Quarry.” Gaudi built it in 1906-1910. for the richest Mila family; here were the owners’ living quarters, an office, and some of the apartments were rented out. Now, in addition to the bank CAixAdeCAtAlunyA, who allocated funds for the restoration of the building, the Gaudi Museum is located in the house.

In one of the apartments there is a kind of museum of everyday life of the Art Nouveau era; Please note that there are no straight lines here! You can also climb to the fantastic rooftop, where giant multi-colored chimney ledges resemble medieval knights. It was on this roof that the famous film by M. Antonioni “Profession: Reporter” was filmed.

Religious motives in Gaudi's architecture

The house was built on the site of the 11th century Temple of the Virgin Mary, and therefore its entire appearance is permeated with religious motifs. The building was to be crowned by a colossal figure of the Madonna (12 m) with angels - the entire building of the Mila House would then be perceived as her grandiose pedestal. However, the Madonna was never installed due to the anti-church riots of the Tragic Week of 1909, when crowds smashed and burned churches and monasteries. Religious symbolism is present in all Gaudí's buildings; “the silent wave of the blue mountain” (as the English art critic D. Ruskin called the house of Mila) was supposed to capture “the soul of Catalonia2 and remind Montserrat monastery.

But we must remember that Gaudi intended to somewhat soften the impression of harsh power from this house - the residents had to decorate their balconies with creeping and hanging flowers, cacti, palm trees, thereby complementing the architecture and sculpture with living vegetation. The most important role in the construction of the Casa Mila was played by Gaudí's permanent assistant J. Jujol, who designed the wrought iron grilles of the building's balconies.

Visit Casa Mila in Barcelona:

• House Mila - on the list
• Address: Provença, 261-265, Barcelona
• www.lapedrera.com
• Directions: metro: L3 and L5 stop Diagonal.| buses: 7, 16, 17, 22, 24, 39 and V17.| FGC trains: Provença station.| Barcelona Bus Turístic: stop Pg. de Gràcia-La Pedrera.
• Working hours:
• November - February: La Pedrera during the day: daily 9 - 18:30, last entry 18:00. The Secret Pedrera: Wednesday - Saturday 19 - 22:30, choice of tours and languages.
• March - October: La Pedrera by Day: hedgehog. 9 - 20, last entry 19:30. The Secret Pedrera: hedgehog. 20:30 - 0:00, choice of excursions and languages.
• Closed: December 25 and 1 week in January.
• Entrance: DAY: adults €16.50, students: €14.85 disabled: €14.85, children (up to 6 years old inclusive): free, children 7 - 12 years old: €8.25
• Entrance IN THE EVENING: adults: 30 €, children 7-12 children: 15 €, children under 6 years old inclusive - free.

Sagrada Familia (Cathedral of the Holy Family)

This was one of his first buildings, which Antoni Gaudi built in 1886-1889. for his patron, textile magnate Eusebio de Güell Bacigalupi. It was probably thanks to his close friendship with him that Gaudi managed to achieve unprecedented architectural perfection: Güell did not count the money he allocated for Gaudí’s buildings and their constant reconstruction, he settled numerous legal problems, and as a result, Gaudí became, in fact, the Güell family architect. He built everything for them - equipment for drying clothes on the roof of a city house, a mansion, a church, and an entire park.

The architect and the industrialist had much in common: they both came from the surrounding area, both were fanatical patriots. Be sure to stop by the palace; You are unlikely to be left indifferent by the fireplaces, weathervanes in the shape of bats, parabolic arches, neo-Byzantine living rooms, spear columns on the second floor, multi-colored ceramic chimneys on the roof (according to legend, to achieve the desired effect, Gaudi broke items of the extremely expensive Limoges service).

Interior of Palace Güell

The decoration of the rooms was incredibly expensive - carved rosewood and oak ceilings were decorated with applied leaves of gold and silver, inlaid with ivory and tortoiseshell; candlesticks were attached to the marble walls. Some art historians believe that the drawing of the mansion resembles the plan in; others note similarities with Babylonian ziggurats. The mansion was the ceremonial official residence of Güell - even before the completion of construction work, Queen Regent Maria Cristina visited him here.

In the 1880s, when construction was underway Palace Guell, the southeastern side was considered unsuitable for fashionable life - this seedy area was then called Chinatown and was swarming with prostitutes, alcoholics, and syphilitics; It was here that the French writer Jean Genet lived, creating his “Diary of a Thief” - a chronicle of the life of the Barcelona “bottom”. Nowadays this area is inhabited mainly by immigrants from Latin America and is still considered a slum in Barcelona. By the way, if you want to live close to the center of Barcelona and very cheaply, and you are not too fussy, then this place will be ideal - lots of cheap restaurants around, just a stone's throw away…

Visit Palacio Güell in Barcelona

• Palau Guell
• Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 3-5
• Tel: +34 934 72 57 75
• Working hours:
• Open from Tuesday to Sunday, both days inclusive.
  • Summer opening hours (from April 1 to October 31): from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ticket offices close at 7 p.m.)
  • Winter opening hours (from November 1 to March 31): from 10 to 17:30 (ticket offices close at 16:30)
  • Closed: Monday, excluding holidays, December 25 and 26, January 1 and from January 6 to 13 (for maintenance)

• Entrance:
  • adults: 12€
  • other options:
  • The audio guide is included in the ticket price.
• Buy a ticket to Vdorets Güell:
  • Tickets can be purchased at the Palais Güell box office located on the street. Nou de la Rambla, no. 1, 20 meters from the main entrance to Palais Güell. Tickets can also be purchased in advance for a specific time and date.

Sights of Antonio Gaudi and his biography

Looking at the masterpieces of Barcelona architecture created by Antoni Gaudi, it is difficult to imagine that behind their beautiful splendor, the variety of bright facades, as well as the unimaginability of various forms, there is a hidden, almost unsociable, lonely human nature.

The architectural style in which Gaudi worked is usually classified as Art Nouveau. Although, in fact, his creations are so unique that it is quite difficult to classify them. Gaudi used completely different architectural elements and completely reworked them, introducing his own.

Before plunging into the history of this unique architect, let's get acquainted with his main creations in Barcelona.

Built in 1883-1885 for the Manuel Vicens family, this landmark is the first major commission for Antoni Gaudí. The site is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, it is a private house and its interior is closed to tourists.

School at the Convent of St. Teresa

For those who are already at least a little familiar with the works of Gaudí, this object, built in 1888-1894, may seem rather unusual and unusual for the hand of our master. The suspicions are quite justified. Gaudi headed the construction of this facility at the very last moment and was forced to work on someone else’s project. Gaudi had to coordinate all changes and his personal plans with the customer, who was the founder of the monastic order of St. Teresa of Avila, Father Enrique de Ossi. He demanded restraint and rigor, and in addition, funding was severely limited.

Looking at this creation, you can notice many straight lines and angles that Gaudi did not like so much. Can we say that this time the freedom-loving architect “bent in” to the demands? Well, if only a little. He nevertheless introduced many unconventional details for a religious object, although the School at the Monastery of St. Teresa can be called a unique exception for Gaudi’s work.

Erected in 1885-1890, by order of Eusebi Güell, who was not just an employer, but also a fairly close person to Gaudí. The most famous fruit of their union would later become the famous Park Güell. Palace Güell, like the previous creations described above, belong to the early works of Gaudí.

The Calvet House (Casa Calvet) is a traditional embodiment of the views and ideas of A. Gaudi and is not famous for any special features. However, the construction of this facility became a very important event for the architect personally. For the House of Calvet in 1900, Gaudí received the municipal award for the best building of the year. Thus, for the first time, city authorities are celebrating his work and paying attention to his creativity.

In the midst of work on Park Güell, Gaudi receives an order to rebuild the residential building of textile magnate Josep Batllo, located in the Eixample district. Preserving the original structure of the house, the architect designs two new facades, remodels the ground floor and mezzanine, and creates a basement, attic and asotea. In 1906, a unique architectural creation, which at that time had no equal in Barcelona, ​​appeared before the eyes of the townspeople.

It was after this that they began to talk about Gaudi as an opponent of straight lines, angles and clear forms, since in Casa Batllo all this is almost completely absent.

In 1910, another work by Gaudi appeared in Barcelona, ​​created for the Mila family. It became the architect's last work, after which he devoted himself entirely to the Sagrada Familia.

Park Guell

One of the most famous attractions of Barcelona - Park Güell - the brainchild of the union of Eusebi Güell and Antoni Gaudi. Construction took place from 1900 to 1914.

Temple of the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia)

The main brainchild and apotheosis of Gaudi’s entire work, his life’s work, a landmark that is one of the most popular in Europe.

Many of Antoni Gaudi's objects are located outside of Barcelona, ​​for example in the city of Leon. Gaudi took part in the design and construction of estates and country houses of famous people of those times not only in Barcelona, ​​but throughout Spain. It is interesting that the architect created a project for the Attraction Hotel in New York, however, unfortunately, it was not implemented.

Tours of the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi

In Barcelona, ​​as a major tourist center, there are many excursion offers for the above listed Gaudí masterpieces. If you are interested in this architecture and the biography of its creator, we recommend that you pay attention to excursions from Russian-speaking local residents of the city - our former compatriots:

Gaudi architecture on the map

Biography of Antonio Gaudi and the history of his work

So, how can you describe the greatest architect of the 20th century?

Antonio Placid Guilhem Gaudí i Cornet was born in the suburbs of Barcelona, ​​the city of Reus (today, a resort on the Costa Daurada). He was brought up in religious traditions, although his father renounced his faith, Antonio’s mother was a devout woman. The birth of children was a tragic event rather than a holiday for the family, since the children died without having time to utter a single sound. Antonio believed that his birth was an omen for something greater, and that he should dedicate his life to accomplish great things.
The fact that Gaudi became an architect was not a surprise to anyone, since for 8 generations the family adhered to the crafts (weavers, boilermakers, merchants, peasants, turners and coppersmiths). Antonio Gaudi i Cornet was proud of his origins, and did not stop the traditions that had developed in the family.

Having graduated from school in 1868, mastering the art of painting, he, with the blessing of his parents, went to Barcelona to continue his studies, choosing architecture as the main direction of his activity. Entering the university took a long time, as he decided to take preparatory courses, which took about 5 years to complete.
For inspiration, he did not need to leave the area in which he lived, since his first apartment was in the historical center of Barcelona. Inspired by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Map, which fully reflects faith through architecture, he chooses the path along which he wants to direct his creativity.
Making progress in the implementation of his activities, accepting orders from various organizations, he took on any work (forged gates, furniture, fences, sign design) in order to financially help his family, as well as to practice only the acquired skills of an architect.

Orders did not arrive constantly, since, firstly, the implementation of ideas took a long time, and, secondly, Gaudi’s complex character made itself felt - the inaccessibility and absolute determination of his actions always took possession of him: if you do not agree with his ideas, then look for another creator - this was Antonio’s opinion throughout his life. And only one customer managed to enter the circle of those close to him, only one financially gave Gaudi scope for any of his fantasies, realizing each of his dreams. It was Eusebi Güell.

Choosing the path of a hermit, he died alone, under the rails of a tram, and was buried in the crypt of his “brainchild”, the Sagrada Familia, on June 10, 1926. Today, for his merits, the issue of canonizing Antoni Gaudi, the Catalan architect, as a Saint is being decided.
So who is he? What was he trying to say by his complete renunciation of his family, but his closeness to God? And what is the secret plan that has remained with us forever in the fossilized cultural masterpieces of the greatest architect of the 20th century, Antonio Gaudi i Cornet?

This might interest you:

Its church spiers are topped with sheaves of cereal and ears of corn, its window arches are topped with baskets of fruit, and clusters of grapes hang from its façades; drainpipes writhe in the shape of snakes and reptiles; chimneys are curled with snails, and fence grates are forged in the shape of palm leaves.
Everything ingenious is simple!

During his life, Antonio Gaudi created more than 20 architectural masterpieces, 10 of which are located directly in Barcelona.

I invite you to take a fascinating walk through the streets of Barcelona and get acquainted with the masterpieces of Gaudi’s architecture, which have no analogues to this day.

You can stay in Barcelona in these hotels:

1. Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens was Gaudí's first significant work. It was built between 1883 and 1888 by order of the owner of a ceramic tile factory, Manuel Vicens Muntaner.

While inspecting the future construction site for the first time, Gaudi discovered a giant blooming palm tree surrounded by a carpet of yellow marigold flowers. Gaudi subsequently included all these motifs in the design of the house: palm leaves found their place on the fence lattice, and marigolds became a pattern in ceramic tiles.

Gaudi developed the design of the entire building, from the meticulous finishing of the exterior, to the decorative solutions of the interior, right down to the wall paintings and stained glass windows.

Since the house is privately owned, it is not open to the public. However, one day a year, May 22, the owners of the house open its doors to guests.

2. Pavillons Güell

It was on this project that two great men met who would define the image of Barcelona for many years to come: the architect Antonio Gaudi and Count Eusebi Güell. By order of Güell, Antonio had to reconstruct the philanthropist's summer country residence: redo the park and erect a gate with a fence, build new pavilions and design stables with an indoor arena. And to show the unified concept of the entire project, the architect completed all the buildings in the same style, using the same building material and a pattern reminiscent of dragon scales.

It was during the construction of the Guell pavilions that Gaudi first used the trencadís technique - covering the surface with pieces of ceramic or glass of irregular shape. Later we will see this technology in the design of benches in Park Güell and many other works of the architect.

Unfortunately, today only the entrance group with a gate decorated with a dragon has survived from the building. According to Gaudi, the dragon guarded the garden with golden apples that bestow eternal youth and immortality.

When the gate was opened, the dragon's head and paws moved, frightening and surprising guests and passers-by. Today you can approach the Dragon without fear - he will remain motionless and freely allow you into the estate.

3. Palau Güell

The next large-scale project created by Antonio Gaudi for Guell is a residential building, or rather a palace. This magnificent Venetian “palazzo” is squeezed into a small space of 22 by 18 meters.

It is impossible to fully assess the appearance of the entire Palace Güell from any one point, because... Carrer Nou de la Rambla is very densely built up. To surprise spectators located at a great distance from the building, Gaudi designed unusual chimney towers.

Gaudí believed that a single architectural element could not be a worthy decoration for a roof. Therefore, the roof of the castle was designed according to the “scenographic” principle. Each chimney is made in the form of a whimsical turret, turning the roof into a magical garden. Gaudi uses this favorite technique in many of his future projects.

At the entrance, between the two forged gates of the palace, Gaudí placed the coat of arms of Catalonia, and on the gates themselves he engraved the initials of Eusebi Güell - “E” and “G”.

4. College of the Order of Saint Teresa (Collegi de las Teresianes)

"Collegi de las Teresianes" - the school at the monastery of St. Teresa - also became one of the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. The college building was built between 1888 and 1890 by order of Enric d'Usso, the priest who founded the Theresian Order.

Initially, the development of the plan was entrusted to the architect Juan B. Ponsom. He worked on the project for a whole year, and even managed to erect the building to the second floor, when the construction was entrusted to Gaudi. The young brilliant architect managed to make significant changes to the initial design and complete construction in less than a year.

This was an unusual project for Gaudí. Firstly, he had to work on a limited budget, so ordinary brick and imitation stone were used during construction. And secondly, his fantasy was put “into a framework.” Antonio first coordinated all his architectural and decorative ideas with the priest, and only after that could he bring them to life. Not surprisingly, most of the plans were rejected.

The architect nevertheless decorated the school as much as possible. To do this, he used numerous neat arches and decorative elements on the battlements of the building, which look like professorial caps.

5. Casa Calvet
Another masterpiece of the architect Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona at first glance seems ordinary and unremarkable, but if you take a closer look...

Gaudi built the Calvet House by order of the widow of the late industrialist Pere Calvet, in accordance with all the criteria for a “profitable” house. There were shops on the ground floor, the owner herself lived on the second floor, and the remaining levels were given over to tenants.

It’s a paradox, but the most “ordinary” creation of Antoni Gaudi, immediately after its construction, in 1900, was recognized as the best building in Barcelona. This came as a surprise to many, since by this time Antonio had completed several projects that looked more elegant and sophisticated. However, the authorities of the capital of Catalonia found this creation to be the most worthy.

In the design of the façade, Gaudi thought through every detail. Thus, the shape of the door peephole was suggested to the architect by honeycombs. When creating it, the genius dipped his fingers into the clay mass several times and then filled the resulting form with metal.

And the knockers on the front doors hit the image of the bedbug. Perhaps, according to an ancient Catalan custom, killing this insect brought good luck and prosperity to the house. Or maybe Antonio Gaudi simply didn’t like pests.

Today, the Calvet house is still used for its intended purpose: the basement is reserved for warehouses, the first floor is occupied by an office, and residential apartments are located on the remaining floors.

6. Figueras House on Bellesguard Street, Barcelona (Casa Figueras)

At the beginning of the 15th century, King Martí the Humane built a magnificent palace on the slope of Mount Tibidabo, which he called Bellesguard - translated from Catalan as “beautiful view”. Five centuries later, in 1900, a completely different, more modest palace in the neo-Gothic style by the architect Antonio Gaudi arose on the same site. Subsequently, it received the name House of Figueres.

The house turned out to be in a rather fancy style. The structure seems to be directed upward, although the structure itself is far from high. Gaudi achieved a similar effect by using a sharp spire in the design, as well as deliberately exaggerating each part of the house. The height of the basement was 3 meters, the first floor - 5 meters, the mezzanine - 6 meters. The total height of the house reaches 33 meters and it looks completely finished in the vertical direction.

During the construction work, Gaudí slightly shifted the medieval road and placed it on vaults with inclined columns. He also uses this technique in Park Güell.

Until 2013, the Figueres house was closed to the public, but since the owners needed funds for reconstruction, they decided to open it to tourists.

Slowly, we are approaching the most interesting part. These are the famous and popular landmarks of Barcelona made by Antoni Gaudi, and the first of them is Parc Güell.

7. Park Guell. Garden City (Parc Güell)

Probably, each of us has at least once seen Gaudi’s gingerbread houses - one of the symbols of the capital of Catalonia, which is found on postcards, magnets and other souvenirs. You and I can find them at the entrance to Park Guell, or sometimes it is called “Gaudi Park”.

Once upon a time, this popular park in Barcelona began its development as a commercial project. After a trip to England, Guell was impressed by the park areas and was inspired by the idea of ​​​​creating something similar in Barcelona. To do this, he purchased a large plot of land on a hill and asked Antonio Gaudi to take on the project. According to Güell's idea, the park was to become a residential village for the Catalan elite. But the city residents did not support his efforts. As a result, only 3 exhibition examples of residential buildings were built, in which the authors of the project themselves, Guell and Gaudi, as well as their lawyer friend, lived. Later, the Barcelona City Council bought the property from the heirs of the philanthropist and transformed it into a city park, and opened a municipal school and a museum in two houses. The lawyer's house still belongs to his family.

The architect did an excellent job. He designed all the necessary communication systems, laid out the streets and squares, built viaducts, shafts, entrance pavilions and the staircase that leads to the “100 Columns” hall. On the roof of the hall there is a large area surrounded by a bright curved bench around the perimeter.

8. Casa Batlló

"House of Bones", "Dragon House", "Yawning House" are all names by which Casa Batlló in Barcelona is known.
This attraction is located in the very center of Barcelona, ​​and even if you wanted to, you will not be able to pass by without noticing it. The humpbacked roof, similar to the backbone of a dragon, the mosaic facade, changing its color depending on the lighting, balconies resembling the faces of big-eyed flies or skulls - all this makes an indelible impression.

Antonio Gaudi received an order for the reconstruction of the house from a textile magnate, who planned to completely demolish the old building. While maintaining the original structure of the house, the architect designed two new facades. The main one faces Passeig de Gracia, the back one goes inside the block.

To improve the lighting and ventilation of the building, Gaudi combined the light shafts into a single courtyard. Here the architect created a special play of chiaroscuro: to achieve uniform illumination, Gaudi gradually changes the color of the ceramic cladding from white to blue and dark blue.

Part of the facade is covered with a mosaic of broken ceramic tiles, which begins with golden shades, continues with orange and ends with green-blue.

9. Casa Milà - Pedrera

Casa Mila is Antoni Gaudi's last secular project. After its construction, the architect devoted himself entirely to the main masterpiece of his life - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
Initially, Barcelona residents did not accept Gaudi's new creation. Due to its uneven and ponderous appearance, Mila's house received the nickname "Pedrera", which means "quarry". Builders and home owners were even fined several times for non-compliance with generally accepted standards. But soon the passions subsided, they quickly got used to the house and began to treat it as just another creation of a genius.

When building Pedrera, Antoni Gaudi used technologies that were far ahead of their time. Instead of classic supporting and load-bearing walls, it used an irregularly shaped steel frame reinforced with arches and columns. Thanks to this, it was possible to give the façade of the house an unusual floating shape, and the layout of the apartments could be changed at any time at the request of the house owner. This technology is also very popular among modern builders who use it in the construction of monolithic frame houses. But more than a century has passed!

But the architect’s talent was fully revealed on the roof of the Mila house. Here Gaudi created a special, fairy-tale world, decorating chimneys and elevator shafts with unusual sculptures.

Despite its cultural value, the Mila house is still residential today. Only the exhibition hall with works by Antoni Gaudi, the apartment reflecting the life of that time, and the roof of the building are open for inspection.

10. Cathedral of the Holy Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família)

Sagrada Familia is the main masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi, the project of his entire life, to which he devoted 43 years. Construction of the cathedral began in 1882 under the direction of the architect Francesco del Viar. But a year later, young Gaudi was appointed in his place. According to his idea, the height of the cathedral should be only one meter lower than the highest mountain in Barcelona - 170 meters. By this, the architect wanted to show that what was created by human hands cannot be higher than what God created.

The expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, like many other creations of Gaudí, is designed in the spirit of the philosophy of unity with nature. The building should be crowned with 18 towers - this is a symbol of the apostles, evangelists and Jesus Christ.

The facades of the cathedral are already decorated with sculptures depicting not only biblical characters, but also animals, grapes and various symbols reflecting facts from the lives of saints.

It is noteworthy that the animal figures were created by Gaudi himself. He put his “models” to sleep and created precise sculptures of them.

The interior decoration of the cathedral is also thought out to the smallest detail. Gaudi assumed that the inside of the cathedral would resemble a forest, with stars visible through the branches of the trees. As a reflection of this idea, multifaceted columns appeared in the cathedral, supporting the high arches of the temple.

Closer to the vaults, the columns change their shape and branch out like trees. The stars in this grandiose project were the window openings, located at different heights.

The death of Antonio Gaudi was as extraordinary as his entire life, as well as his work. On June 7, 1926, at the age of 73, he was hit by a tram. The architect lost consciousness, but the cab drivers were in no hurry to take him to the hospital: he had no money or documents with him, and he looked extremely unkempt. He ended up in a hospital for the poor.
Gaudí died on June 10, 1926 and was buried in his favorite place - the Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia.

Gaudi is an outstanding Catalan architect who created many famous buildings in Barcelona. World history does not know many architects who so strongly influenced the views of their cities and created something so significant for their national culture. Gaudi is the most famous architect in Spain. His work marked the peak of Spanish Art Nouveau. The peculiarity of his style is that the sources of the architect’s fantasies were natural forms (trees, clouds, animals, rocks). It was nature that primarily determined the work of the sculptor and architect Gaudi when he solved various problems - both artistic and constructive.

The architect did not like closed spaces, as well as geometrically correct forms. That’s why he fundamentally rejected straight lines. He believed that a straight line is a creation of man, while a circle is a creation of God. Therefore, Antoni Gaudi used only curved surfaces, creating his own original style. The architect Gaudi and his houses are known far beyond the borders of Catalonia and Spain.

Life and work of Gaudi

The architect was born on June 25, 1852, near Barcelona. His family belonged to a dynasty of hereditary masons. In 1868 he moved to Barcelona and there in 1873-78. studied at the Higher Technical School of Architecture, and also mastered various crafts (blacksmithing, carpentry, etc.) in the workshop of E. Punti.

In 1870-82. was engaged in the execution of applied orders (sketches of lanterns, fences, etc.) in the workshop of F. Villar and E. Sala. His first construction, which can be considered independent (the fountain on Plaça Catalunya in 1877), demonstrated the brightness and whimsicality of Gaudí's imagination.

Antonio Gaudi died tragically on 06/07/1926 in Barcelona. He was hit by a tram not far from the Sagrada Familia. At the end of his life, the architect behaved strangely, walked in an unkempt manner, so he was taken to a hospital for the poor, where he died. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Holy Family.

The origins of the architect's own style

Neo-Gothic reigned in Western Europe at that moment. In his youth, Gaudí adhered to the ideas of such representatives of the neo-Gothic style as the French architect Viollet-le-Duc (the largest restorer of Gothic churches in the 19th century, who restored, in particular, Notre Dame Cathedral) and the English art critic John Ruskin, author of the article “Decorativeness - the Beginning architecture", which completely coincided with the thoughts of Gaudi himself and for many years was the code of his work. However, he was most influenced by Catalan Gothic, which interestingly combined European and Moorish motifs. It is this combination that permeates the architecture of Antoni Gaudi.

This building was built in 1880-83. During its construction, the architect used polychrome effects typical of ceramic cladding. Gaudí's buildings, built in his “mature” period, are distinguished by the use of this technique. This house by Gaudí was built for the owner of a ceramics factory, M. Vicens, and resembled a fairy-tale palace. In an effort to realize the desire of the building’s customer, the industrialist Vicens, to see a “kingdom of ceramics” in this house, the architect used iridescent multi-colored majolica tiles to cover the walls, decorated the ceilings with stucco “stalactites,” and installed fancy gazebos and lanterns in the courtyard.

The residential building itself and the buildings in the garden formed a beautiful architectural ensemble, to create which Gaudi for the first time tested his signature techniques: large quantities of ceramic finishing, plastic fluid forms, bold combinations of elements of different styles, contrasts of dark and light, vertical and horizontal elements and so on.

In 1891, the architect received an order for a new cathedral in Barcelona - a temple (i.e., the Church of the Holy Family). This building became the maximum manifestation of his imagination. Realizing the enormous significance of this building as a symbol of the entire national revival of Catalonia, Gaudí concentrated entirely on its construction from 1910, setting up his own workshop here.

The style of the cathedral is similar to Gothic, but also contains something new, more modern. This building can accommodate a choir of 1,500 singers, 5 organs, and a children's choir of 700 people. The cathedral was to become a major center of Catholicism. Its construction was supported by the then Pope Leon 13th.

Although Gaudi was involved in the construction of this temple for 35 years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity façade, which structurally represents the eastern part of the transept, with 4 towers above it, while the western part of the apse, which makes up most of the entire monumental cathedral , remains unfinished to this day. Construction of the Sagrada Familia continues to this day.

Casa Batllo

This is one of Gaudí's most famous buildings, built in 1904-06. and became the fruit of his original imagination, which was of purely literary origin. The house is the embodiment of the story of St. George slaying the dragon. The 2 lower floors resemble the skeleton of a dragon, the wall resembles dragon skin, the roof with a peculiar pattern resembles a dragon’s spine. On the roof there is a small tower and chimneys of various intricate shapes. They are decorated with ceramics and combined into several groups.

The project masterfully used color harmony and plasticity of the material. The sculptural decoration of the building looks as if it consists of living forms that froze only for a moment. The completion of this decor is the design of the roof, which resembles a dragon’s back.

Gaudí's architectural masterpieces include (1906-10) the famous Art Nouveau building, which received the nickname “La Pedrera” (i.e. “the quarry”) because of its whimsicality. It is a 6-story apartment building located on the corner, with 2 courtyards and 6 light wells.

The entire building as a whole and each individual apartment in it have a curved, complex layout. Initially, the architect tried to make each internal partition curved, but later he had to abandon this idea and give them a broken shape, which creates a contrast with the wavy facade. For Casa Mila, new design solutions were used: the absence of load-bearing internal walls, the support of interfloor floors by external walls and columns, and the important structural significance of balconies.