Antonio Gaudí: the most enigmatic architect in history who worked wonders. Barcelona❤️Gaudi: Excursion to the last private apartment in Casa Mila All works of Gaudí in Barcelona

The style of architectural creativity of Antonio Gaudi is usually attributed to the Art Nouveau trend. But you can see that in the projects of his creations, the architect used individual features of many other styles. At the same time, each of them was rethought, and the architect took only those elements that he considered acceptable for his buildings.

The personality remains mysterious and incomprehensible, despite the huge amount of information about the life and work of this genius. It would seem that what's new can be said about a person who has bathed in glory and luxury all his life, not knowing how to count money and completely devoting himself to creativity? So why did Antonio die alone, in extreme poverty and oblivion? The answer to this question is, alas! - is not known to anyone.

Buildings of Gaudí

Among the famous buildings of the brilliant architect, starting from his earliest works, the following can be distinguished:

• (built in 1883 - 1888) - Casa Vicens - the residential building of the Manuel Vicens family, one of the first major orders of Gaudí.

• El Capriccio, Comillas(Cantabria) (built in 1883 - 1885) - Capricho de Gaudi - the summer residence of Maximo de Quijano, Marquis de Comillas, who was a relative of Eusebio Güell - one of the architect's main customers. This mansion was built for the heir of the marquis.

• , Pedralbes in Barcelona (built in 1884 - 1887) - unique buildings on the territory of one of the most prestigious areas of Catalonia, built in the style of rich Cuban estates.

• Palace Güell in Barcelona (built in 1886 - 1889) - Palau Guell - the residential building of the wealthy industrialist Eusebio Güell, one of Gaudí's early works. The palace contains the features of a Venetian palazzo, mixed with a share of eclecticism.

• in Barcelona (built in 1888 - 1894) - Collegi de las Teresianes - a special educational institution, a college for girls who became nuns in the future. Today it is one of the main attractions of Catalonia.

• Bishop's Palace in Astorga, Castile (Leon) (built in 1889 - 1893) - Palacio Episcopal de Astorga - a palace near the city of Leon, built by order of Bishop Joan Bautista Grau y Vallespinos.

• in Leon(built in 1891 - 1892) - Casa de los Botines - a residential building with storage facilities in Leon, built in the Art Nouveau tradition with the addition of individual elements.

• Expiatory Church of the Holy Family in Barcelona (1883 - the work was not completed by the architect). Of course, when it comes to the work of Antoni Gaudi, the first thing that comes to mind is one of the most ingenious and bizarre buildings widely known throughout the world - this is the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Among Catholics, the name of the temple sounds like "Temple Expiatori de la Sagrado Familia".

• (the project was developed in 1892 - 1893, but the mission was not built) - a small project of the architect, which was never brought to life. In planning the future construction, Gaudí completely abandons traditions.

• , Garraf (built in 1895 - 1898) - Bodegas Guell - an architectural complex in Sitges, consisting of two buildings - the entrance room and the cellar itself. The building was commissioned by the same industrialist Eusebio Güell.

• House Calvet in Barcelona(built in 1898 - 1900) - Casa Calvet - the residential building of the widow of the manufacturer Pere Martir Calvet y Carbonel, which was originally designed as an apartment building. In such buildings, the lower floors and basements are reserved for commercial establishments, the owners themselves live on the middle floors, and the rooms above are rented out to guests. To date, the house of Calvet is one of the attractions of Barcelona.

• Crypt of Colonia Güell, Santa Coloma de Cervelo (1898 - 1916) - a chapel built on the territory of the settlement of textile factory workers Eusebio Güell. A wealthy industrialist in his colony wanted to build a school, a hospital, and a church for his workers. It was with the construction of the crypt that the implementation of the project began. However, things did not go further, and the church itself remained unfinished.

• Figueres house on Bellesguard street in Barcelona (1900 - 1902) - Casa Figueras or Bellesguard Tower - a beautiful house topped with towers, built by order of the merchant's widow Maria Sages. The customer wanted to build a new beautiful building on her land, and Antonio Gaudi fully coped with this task.

• Park Guell in Barcelona(1900 - 1914) - Parque Guell - a garden and park complex with residential areas with a total area of ​​just over 17 hectares, built in the upper part of Barcelona.

• (1901 - 1902) - Finca Miralles - the gate for the house of the manufacturer Miralles, built in the form of a fancy sea shell and harmoniously fit into the arched opening.

• Villa Catllaras, La Pabla de Lilliet(built in 1902) is a country house in Spain, designed by a talented architect. The uniqueness of the building is visible even on the drawing - no one had done anything like this before Gaudi.

• Artigas Gardens in fronthighlands of the Pyrenees(1903 - 1910) - Can Artigas gardens in Pobla de Lillet (Pobla de Lillet) - magnificent buildings within the garden and park complex located at the foot of the Pyrenees at a distance of 130 km from Barcelona.

For a long time, this pearl of Gaudí's architectural creativity remained unknown to the whole world, but in the early 70s of the XX century, the gardens were discovered, put in order and opened to tourists. Since then, the gardens of Can Artigas have been one of the attractions of Spain, as well as a unique example.

• Warehouses of the Blacksmith's Artel of Badia(1904) - were designed by order of José and Luis Badio - the owners of blacksmith workshops, in which Gaudi ordered forged metal parts to decorate his architectural projects.
• (was built in 1904 - 1906) - Casa Batllo - the residential building of Josep Batllo y Casanovas, a wealthy textile magnate, rebuilt by Gaudí according to his own design.

• Reconstruction of the Cathedral to Palma de Mallorca(1904 - 1919) - Catedral de Santa Maria de Palma de Mallorca - in this Catholic cathedral, Antonio Gaudi carried out restoration and decorative work commissioned by the Bishop of Campins.

• (1906-1910) - the residential house of the Mila family, the last secular work of Gaudí, after which he fully devotes himself to the creation of the temple of the Atonement of the Holy Family. Casa Mila is also one of the most important sights of the capital of Catalonia.

• parochial school at the Church of the Atonement of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona(1909 - 1910) - Escjles de la Sagrada Familia - originally a school for the children of workers involved in the construction of the Sagrada Familia, was planned as a temporary building. Subsequently, after the construction of the cathedral was completed, they wanted to demolish the school. But the building turned out to be so expressive and unique that it still stands not far from the cathedral.

The architectural work of Gaudi is not only multifaceted and interesting. It represents a truly rich heritage for all generations of future architects to learn from these unique buildings and create their own masterpieces.

Antonio Gaudi was born on June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona in Catalonia (Spain). Gaudí's childhood passed by the sea. He carried the impressions of the first architectural experiments throughout his life, so some of his houses resemble sand castles. Due to rheumatism, the boy could not play with children and often remained alone, spending a lot of time in contact with nature. Limited mobility due to illness sharpened the future architect's powers of observation, opened the world of nature to him, which became the main source of inspiration in solving both artistic and design problems, as well as constructive ones. Antonio liked to watch mountains, clouds, flowers, snails for a long time. Gaudi's mother instilled in the boy a love of religion. She inspired him that since the Lord left him life, Antonio must definitely find out why.

In the seventies of the XIX century, Gaudí moved to Barcelona, ​​where, after five years of preparatory courses, he was admitted to the Higher School of Architecture, from which he graduated in 1878. It was an educational institution of a new type, in which teachers did everything so that learning did not turn into a routine. At the School, students were encouraged by having the opportunity to participate in real projects, and practical experience is always very valuable for an architect. Antonio studied with pleasure and enthusiasm, sat up in the evenings in the library, learned German and French in order to be able to read literature according to his profile. Antonio was one of the best students, but he was never loved.

In the years 1870-1882, Antonio Gaudi worked under the supervision of the architects Emilio Sala and Francisco Villar as a draftsman, unsuccessfully participating in competitions; studied crafts, doing many small jobs (fences, lanterns, etc.), also designed furniture for his own home.

In Europe at that time there was an extraordinary flowering neogothic style , and the young Gaudi enthusiastically followed the ideas of neo-Gothic enthusiasts - the French architect and writer Violet le Duc (the largest restorer of Gothic cathedrals in the 19th century, who restored Notre Dame Cathedral) and the English critic and art critic John Ruskin. The declaration proclaimed by them "Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture" fully corresponded to Gaudi's own thoughts and ideas, whose creative style becomes completely unique over the years, architecture is as far from the generally accepted one as Lobachevsky's geometry is from classical Euclidean.

In the period of early creativity, marked by the influences of the architecture of Barcelona, ​​as well as the Spanish architect Martorel, his first richly decorated, early modern projects are built: "stylistic twins" - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona) and quirky El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

In accordance with the desire of the owner to see the "kingdom of ceramics" in his country residence, Gaudí covered the walls of the house with multi-color iridescent majolica tiles, decorated the ceilings with hanging stucco "stalactites", filled the courtyard with bizarre gazebos and lanterns. Garden buildings and a residential building made up a magnificent ensemble, in the forms of which the architect first tried his favorite techniques:

● an abundance of ceramic finishes;

● plasticity, fluidity of forms;

● bold combinations of different styles;

● contrasting combinations of light and dark, horizontals and verticals.

El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

The outside of the building is lined with rows of bricks and ceramic tiles. The first floor is lined with wide rows of multi-colored bricks interspersed with narrow strips of majolica tiles with relief casts of sunflower inflorescences.

The compromise pseudo-baroque House Calvet(Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the citizens during his lifetime:

Also in these years, the following projects appear:

● School at the monastery of Santa Teresa (Barcelona) in a restrained Gothic, even "serf" style:

● Neo-Gothic episcopal palace in Astorga (Castilla, Leon):

● House of Botines in Neo-Gothic style (Leon):

However, the meeting with Eusebi Güell . Gaudí later became a friend of Güell. This textile magnate, the richest man in Catalonia, not alien to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudí got what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to estimates. Antonio designs the pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona for the Guell family; wine cellars in Garrafa, chapels and crypts of Colonia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervello); fantastic Park Güell (Barcelona). In these works, Gaudí transcends the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, declaring war on the straight line and moving forever into the world of curved surfaces to form his own unmistakable style.

Once Guell conceived the reconstruction of his summer country residence. For this purpose, he expands his holdings by acquiring several more plots. He gives the order for the restructuring of the country house to Antonio Gaudi, instructing him to remake the park, reform the country house, build a fence with gates, build new pavilions at the entrance to the estate, and the architect was also instructed to build a stable with a covered arena. Now this complex is called Park Güell .

Like all Gaudi's subsequent works, these buildings are deeply symbolic, there are no random details here. The idea of ​​the architect was based on the myth of the magical garden of the Hesperides. This myth was reflected in the poem "Atlantis" by the Catalan author Jacinta Verdaguer, who often visited the Guella estate. The poem describes one of the exploits of Hercules, who was ordered by the king of Mycenae, wanting to test the strength of Hercules, to get golden apples from the garden, which was carefully guarded. The most interesting preserved part of the estate is the gate in the form of a dragon. According to legend, the bloodthirsty dragon Ladon guarded the entrance to the garden, where a tree with golden apples grew, giving eternal youth and immortality.

Another Gaudi building for his patron and friend is the manufacturer's house in Barcelona, ​​the so-called Palace Güell :

With the completion of the palace, Antonio Gaudi ceased to be a nameless builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, ​​soon turned into a "virtually unaffordable luxury."

At that time, Antonio Gaudi was still working as a draftsman in the architectural office of his former teacher at the Higher School of Architecture - Villar. This also played an interesting role in Gaudí's later life. The point is that construction Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famnlia) It's been going on in Barcelona for a few years now. And when the question arose of replacing the architect, Villar proposed the candidacy of Gaudi. Oddly enough, the Church Council accepted it. Antonio founded his own architectural office, recruited a staff of assistants and plunged headlong into work ( )

The customers, who were ready to spend half their fortunes on the construction, initially believed in the genius of the architect, who without any effort paved a new path in architecture. For the bourgeois of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other. One of these houses was Casa Mila - space that is born and develops, expanding and moving like living matter. The house is better known as La Pedrera, which translates as a quarry. The project was commissioned by entrepreneur Pedro Mila y Camps. He needed a house whose apartments he could rent. Gaudí planned the undulating façade. Iron structures were lined with hewn stone, which was cut down nearby in the province of Barcelona:

Designing began in 1906, and the architect, with his usual scrupulousness, verified all the lines. He designed the space so that the neighbors felt as isolated from each other as possible, in addition, if the owner of the house planned to turn it into a hotel, then no problems should have arisen either. Nevertheless, Pedro Mila expressed impatience and urged in every possible way. But obstacles arose at every step. Thus, the regulatory authorities were dissatisfied with the column, which protruded half a meter onto the sidewalk. They demanded that she be removed. Gaudi fought for every detail of his project. He threatened that if he still had to remove the column, then at the place where it was supposed to be, he would write who exactly was guilty of her absence.

Then there were sizing issues. The height of the structure was four meters higher than allowed. There was a demand to cut the attic. In case of non-compliance with the requirement, a fine was imposed on the owner, which corresponded to a fifth of the entire project. A commission was created, which recognized the building as of great value, and thus all this disagreement with the law was settled.

Mila's house was under construction for three years. While the work was going on, the rich Pere Mila became poor, as he had already paid 100,000 pesetas for the architect's violation of all building codes. Therefore, closer to the end, he could not stand it and said: "I will not pay." Gaudi replied: "Well, then finish building it yourself." After which they dispersed, patting their empty pockets, slandering each other and taking the case to court. But future generations can now be inspired and enjoy a wonderful architectural monument.

Similar in spirit project of Gaudí - Casa Batllou - a living trembling creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy of an unusual origin: it developed a plot - St. George kills a dragon. The first two floors resemble the bones and skeleton of a dragon, the texture of the wall is its skin, and the roof of a complex pattern is its backbone. Above the roof rises a tower in the form of a spear piercing the dragon's body. The Casa Batlló is also known as the "House of Bones":

WITH Cathedral of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia - became the most famous work of Antonio Gaudi, although he did not start building it and he did not finish it. But for the architect himself, this work was the culmination of his life and work. Attaching special importance to this building as a monumental symbol of the national and social revival of Catalonia, Antogio Gaudi from 1910 concentrated entirely on it, placing his workshop here.

As conceived by Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia was to become a symbolic building, a grandiose allegory of the Nativity of Christ, represented by three facades. Eastern is dedicated to Christmas; the western - to the Passion of Christ, the southern, the most impressive, should become the facade of the Resurrection. The portals and towers of the Sagrada Familia are adorned with exuberant sculpture reproducing the entire living world, the dizzying complexity of profiles and detailing surpassing anything Gothic has ever known. This is a kind of Gothic Art Nouveau, which, however, is based on the plan of a purely medieval cathedral.

Despite the fact that Gaudi built the Sagrada Familia temple for thirty-five years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity facade, which is structurally the eastern part of the transept, and four towers above it. The western part of the apse, which makes up most of this majestic building, has not yet been completed. More than seventy years after Gaudí's death, construction of the Sagrada Familia continues today. Spiers are gradually erected (during the life of the architect, only one was completed), facades with figures of the apostles and evangelists, scenes of the ascetic life and the atoning death of the Savior are being drawn up. The construction of the Sagrada Familia is expected to be completed by 2030.

The layout of the future Temple of the Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famnlia) in Barcelona, ​​made up of suspended sandbags, could only be "read" by modern computers! By connecting the dots-bags, the researchers obtained a spatial model of the cathedral. In addition, in order not to “cut” the room into pieces, Gaudí came up with his own unsupported ceiling system, and only 100 years later a computer program appeared that could perform such operations. It was a NASA program that calculated the trajectories of space flights.

The last years the architect spent as an ascetic hermit, fully devoting all his strength and energy to the creation of the immortal Sagrada Familia Cathedral - Sagrada Familia, which became the highest embodiment of not only his unique talent, but also his devout faith. He finished the tops of the towers of the temple so carefully that it was pleasant for the angels to look at them.

At the end of lifeAntonio Gaudi is very ill. I caught brucellosis or Maltese fever, which is difficult to diagnose even today. Doctors believe that “brucellosis is distinguished by sudden mood swings leading to suicidal depression. Interspersed with outbursts of anger and periods of absent-mindedness, this depressed mood is accompanied by physical exhaustion, excruciating headaches and painful arthritis. There was no cure for this disease. Perhaps this can explain why Gaudí has ​​changed so much for the worse. He walked around in sagging jackets, and his trousers dangled around his legs, which he wrapped with bandages from the cold ... And no underwear! However, he did not change his outer clothing until it turned into tatters. The great architect ate what he put into his hand on the go - a piece of bread, for example. If they didn't eat anything, they didn't eat anything. When he did not eat anything for a very long time, he lay down and began to die. But one of the students came, changed his clothes, fed him ...

On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudí was hit by a tram and lost consciousness. The cab drivers refused to take an untidy, unknown old man without money and documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Gaudí died soon after from his injuries.

Watch a video presentation of the most famous works of Gaudí:

According to legend, Barcelona was founded by the famous hero of ancient Greek myths - Hercules and restored from ruins in the 3rd century BC by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, who named the city after his family - Barcino. Today Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the tenth largest in the European Union.

The capital of Catalonia is located on the Mediterranean coast. The hills on which the city was built gave the names to five of its districts: Carmel, Monterolls, Puchet, Rovira and Peira. Like most European cities, Barcelona consists of the Old City, which includes the Gothic Quarter, the New City, the 19th century building period, and modern districts.

The architecture of Barcelona reflects the main historical and cultural periods of the formation of the Catalan capital. The old city includes both medieval buildings, made in the Gothic style, and more ancient buildings from the period of Roman antiquity. The Eixample or New Town is a classic example of modernism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On Gràcia Boulevard, you can admire the masterpieces of the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and the lanterns with benches designed by Per Falques.

The main attractions of Barcelona are located in the historic center of the city. On the hill of Montjuic, located next to the seaport, you can visit the ancient fortress (1640), the open-air architectural museum known as the "Spanish Village", the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Olympic facilities built for the 1992 Summer Games. The site lonelyplanet.com introduces us to the most beautiful sights of Barcelona.

Architectural sights of Barcelona - PHOTOS.

1. Sagrada Familia

The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, located in Barcelona's Eixample, belongs to the architectural genius of the modernist era - Antonio Gaudí. The construction of the cathedral began in 1882. All work was paid for through private donations. Perhaps that is why the Sagrada Familia was built over more than one century. From 1882 to 1926, it was built under the direction of Gaudí. Since 1926, other well-known architects have alternately assumed patronage over the Temple. The consecration of the temple took place only in the XXI century. Sagrada Familia was built in the shape of a Latin cross. The building has five naves. The bell towers of the temple imitate the appearance of sand towers.

2. Church of Santa Maria del Mar

The Church of St. Mary on the Sea (namely, the name of the pearl of Spanish architecture is translated into Russian) is located in the old quarter of La Ribela, located in the Old Town. The Gothic building was erected during the mid-late 14th century, the time of the commercial and maritime heyday of Catalonia. Santa Maria del Mar is distinguished by the purity of its architectural style, strictly adhering to traditional medieval norms. For example, exquisite, at first glance, the stained-glass window of the western facade of the church - and that belongs to the style of flaming Gothic.

3. Torre Akbar

The 34-story skyscraper, located on Glorias Catalanes Square, got its name from the owners, the Akbar Group company. The prefix "Torre" in Catalan means "tower". The majestic building, reminiscent of its appearance as a spaceship, was completed in June 2005. The uniqueness of the facade of Torre Akbar is associated with its special structure. The outer part of the skyscraper is covered with metal, with LEDs built into them, and glass panels moving under the influence of temperature sensors. LED technology forms complex color combinations on the surface of Torre Akbar within 16 million options.

4. Palace of Catalan Music

Palau de la Musica Catalana is the brightest representative of Catalan Art Nouveau. The famous Barcelona Concert Hall was built by the architect Luis Domènech y Montaner at the beginning of the 20th century. The Palace of Catalan Music is the only one in Europe with natural light. Palau de la Musica Catalana is located on a small street in the historic quarter of La Ribela. The architectural features of Art Nouveau manifested themselves in the design of the Palace in curved lines, dynamic forms, and bright artistic ornaments. The decoration of the facade additionally includes elements of classical Spanish and Arab culture.

5. Hospital of the Holy Cross and St. Paul

The famous hospital complex of Barcelona is located in the New City. Built in the first third of the 20th century by the famous Catalan modernist architect Luis Domènech y Montaner, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first hospital of St. Paul appeared on this site back in 1401, when six medieval hospitals were merged into one. In its modern form, the hospital functioned until 2009, after which it was converted into a cultural center and a museum. Currently, various exhibitions are held on its territory.

6. Santa Caterina Market

The Santa Caterina market got its name from the name of the saint, who was dedicated to the convent that previously stood on this site. The religious institution was destroyed in 1835 by revolutionary events, after which the city council decided to give its land for commercial space, which the city at that time needed more. The first market building was designed by Joseph Mas Villa and opened in 1846. Santa Catarina acquired its modern look thanks to the work of Enrique Mirayes. It was he who proposed to decorate the roof of the market in bright, catchy colors.

7. House "La Pedrera"

In fact, the unusual Barcelona house, built at the beginning of the 20th century by the architect Antonio Gaudí, is called Mila House. "Pedrera", that is, "The Quarry", he was nicknamed by the locals, who at first did not accept modernism as an art form. The strange structure, completely devoid of straight lines, was perceived by the people of Barcelona as something terrible. Meanwhile, Mila's house is unique not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Natural ventilation works in it, and interior partitions are moved at the request of the apartment owners.

8. House of Amalie

Built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Amalie house combines neo-Gothic and modernist architectural features. The building was built in 1875. In 1898 it was bought by the Barcelona confectioner Antonio Amalie. On his behalf, the architect J. Puig i Cadafalca redesigned the decorative design of the building. The pediment of the latter acquired a stepped look, and an allegorical image of the owner appeared on the facade. Located in the Eixample district, the Amalie house is part of the "Quarter of Discord", so named because of the stylistic heterogeneity of its constituent buildings. Since 1976, the Amalie house has been a monument of national importance.

9. Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló bears the name of the textile magnate who commissioned the design of the building to modernist architect Antonio Gaudí. The residential building was erected in 1877 in the Eixample district, next to the Amalie house. The second name of the Casa Batlló - the House of Bones - is associated with its unusual architectural form. Like La Pedrera, this building lacks straight lines. The wavy curves of the façade give the building an allegorical image of a dragon, Gaudí's favorite character. In fact, Casa Batlló, with its forms and decorative elements, recreates the famous story of the slaying of the dragon by Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia.

10. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Pavilion

The German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is one of the leading representatives of the international style that was formed within modernism in the 30-60s of the XX century. The Barcelona Pavilion was built in the 1980s exactly like its German predecessor. The Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Museum is housed in an original translucent building made of glass and different types of marble. In particular, the most famous works of the architect are exhibited in it: the sculpture of Georg Kolbe and the Barcelona Chair.

Barcelona is a city of incomparable architectural delights, one of the capitals of Art Nouveau. The creations of Antonio Gaudi occupy a central place in the urban space. Millions of tourists travel to Barcelona to see these masterpieces of architecture.

In total, there are thirteen objects built by Gaudí in Barcelona.

Sagrada Familia

One of Gaudí's most famous works in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia or Sagrada Familia. This is a huge temple that has been under construction for over 130 years. The construction of the basilica began back in 1882, and it is expected to end only by 2050. This is not only the most famous, but also the most visited tourist attraction in Barcelona. You can find the Sagrada Familia at Mallorca, 401. To get to it, you need to take the lilac L2 or blue L5 metro line to the Sagrada Familia station or bus routes 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50 and 51.

There are always huge queues of tourists in the Sagrada. Therefore, we recommend that you purchase a ticket to the cathedral in advance. You can do it using this link.

Casa Batlló

Casa Batllo is one of the most unusual houses in Barcelona. The house looks like it was built from skulls and bones. It is felt that when designing this house, Gaudi was inspired by the depths of the sea. The facade of the building has a delicate coral color.

Sir Antonio paid great attention to details. One has only to pay attention to the windows of Casa Batlló: their size depends on how high they are. Thus, the issue of uniform lighting of the rooms was solved.

Tourists will be able to see Casa Batllo at Passeigde Gràcia, 43, which can be reached if you take the L3 metro green line to Passeigde Gràcia station. It is worth paying attention to the subway exit! It should be Calle Aragó - Rambla Catalunya - and then it will take literally 30 seconds to walk to Casa Batlló.

Tickets to Casa Batlló can also be bought in advance.

Park Güell

You should definitely visit the aristocratic park of Barcelona, ​​built by Gaudi commissioned by Eusebi Güell. Güell Park is home to unique stone structures, amazing mosaics and magnificent buildings. At the entrance to the park, tourists are greeted by a dragon fountain decorated with mosaics.

It is in this park that one feels how strongly the natural principle influenced the architecture of Antonio Gaudi. There are huge stone columns that have grown out of the ground like strange tree trunks.

At the top of the park there is a terrace from which everyone can enjoy a magnificent view not only of the park, but of all of Barcelona.

Casa Vicens

Not many tourists are aware of the existence of Casa Vicens, one of Gaudí's earliest works. This family residence was designed and built under the order of the industrialist Manuel Vicens in 1878-1889. The style of the building mixes Spanish-Arabic with Oriental and adds Gaudí's characteristic influence of nature.

Bright colors and special attention to detail will impress any architecture lover.

Address: Carrer de les Carolines, 18-24 Nearest metro station: Fontana, green line L3

You can also get acquainted with the main creations of Gaudi during one sightseeing tour or have fun with the help of modern technologies in 4D space.

If you went to Barcelona with young travelers, they will surely enjoy the tour.

Antonio Gaudi: the most mysterious architect in history who worked wonders

We often hear about brilliant musicians, writers, poets. In relation to architecture, the word "brilliant" is used much less often. Perhaps because it is much more difficult to realize such a talent than any other. The more valuable for history is everyone who managed to replenish the architectural heritage of mankind with creations of unique beauty. The brightest and most mysterious among these geniuses is the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi, the creator of the legendary Sagrada Fomilia, the Guell Palace, the Batllo House and other unique masterpieces that adorn Barcelona today, making it a truly unique city.

Antoni Gaudí was born in Catalonia in 1852 to the blacksmith Francisco Gaudí y Serra and his wife Antonia Curnet y Bertrand. He was the youngest of five children in his family. After the death of his mother, two brothers and sister Antonio, he settled in Barcelona with his father and niece. Since childhood, Gaudi was very sickly, rheumatism prevented him from playing with other children. Instead, he took long walks alone, which he eventually grew to love. It was they who helped him to become closer to nature, which throughout his subsequent life inspired the architect to solve the most incredible constructive and artistic tasks.

Brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi.

During his studies at the Catholic College, Antonio was most interested in geometry and drawing. In his free time, he explored local monasteries. Already in those years, teachers admired the work of the young artist Gaudí. And he said with all seriousness that his talent was God's gift. In the process of creating his creations, he often turned to the theme of God, and did not deviate from it even when choosing the artistic aspects of his work. For example, he did not like straight lines, calling them a product of man. But Gaudi adored circles, and was convinced of their divine origin. These principles are clearly visible in all of his 18 architectural creations, which today are the pride of Barcelona. They are characterized by a bold combination of materials, textures and colors. Gaudi used his own unsupported ceiling system, which made it possible not to “cut” the premises into pieces. The repetition of his calculations became possible only after the creation by NASA of the calculation of the flight path of spacecraft.

The first buildings of the architect are the House of Vicens, El Capriccio, and the Pavilion of the Güell Estate. They differ significantly from each other, however, all are decorated with a large number of decorative details in the Neo-Gothic style.

"Pavilion of the Güell Estate".

In general, the architectural style of Antonio Gaudi is phantasmagoric, difficult to define, although the architect was called the genius of modernity. Gaudí was the most prominent representative of his national romantic movement, Catalan modernism. Incredibly, he was not helped by design engineers, he acted on a hunch, relying only on his sense of harmony, often improvising and trying to convey his idea to his assistants using drawings on the board. His architectural creations have everything: bizarre constructive forms, sculptures, painting, mosaics, color plastics. They contain people and animals, fantastic creatures, trees, flowers.

Batllo's house.

Antonio was very handsome, however, in his personal life he was lonely. Of course, he had novels, but none of them ended in marriage or any serious relationship. In fact, he was married to his creations. Antonio was a well-off person and had the opportunity to rent any housing, but while working on the next project, he invariably lived right at the construction site, equipping a small closet for himself, and wore an old overalls.

Gaudí's architecture makes Barcelona unique.

So it was during his work on his favorite and, perhaps, the most grandiose creation - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, the construction of which he never had a chance to finish. It began in 1882, when Gaudí was 30 years old, and has not been completed to this day. The architect gave this project 40 years of his life. And on June 7, 1926, Gaudi left the construction site and disappeared. On the same day, on one of the streets of Barcelona, ​​a poor man was hit by a tram. Only a few days later it was identified as the greatest architect Antonio Gaudi. He found his last refuge in one of the Sagrada Familia chapels.

Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia.

During Gaudí's funeral procession, which probably involved half the city, a mystical thing happened. Many citizens, among whom were very respected persons, claimed to have seen ghosts in the crowd of people who came to say goodbye to the genius. For example, Salvador Dali spoke about this.

At the Sagrada Familia.

Today, this mystery, which excited Barcelona in its time, has already become history and the subject of excursions. But there are still people who believe that if you exactly repeat the route of the last path of Gaudi, you can get a piece of his incredible talent. And we just have to be grateful to the genius for his selfless devotion to art and love for the people to whom he left an invaluable architectural heritage.

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