One of the greatest architects in the world and the most famous architect of Barcelona, ​​Gaudí, could have died at birth. The birth of his mother was very difficult, and the midwife immediately put an end to the boy. To save the soul of the newborn, he was immediately baptized. Subsequently, Gaudi claimed that the fact that he survived was a miracle. And he believed that he had been chosen for a special purpose.

Childhood

Antonio Gaudí was born on June 25, 1852 small town Reus located in Catalonia. His father was the hereditary blacksmith Francesc Gaudí y Sierra, and his mother, after whom the boy was named, was Antonia Cornet y Bertrand. The child received the surname, as was customary in Spain, from both parents - Gaudi i Cornet.
The father taught the child to understand the beauty of the things around him, instilled in Gaudi a love of architecture and fine arts. From his mother, he adopted faith in God and religiosity.
The boy grew up very sickly: he suffered from a severe form of arthritis, which caused severe pain from the simplest movements. He did not play outdoor games, rarely walked. It was difficult for him to walk, so he went for a walk on a donkey. But in mental development, he was significantly ahead of many other children. Antonio was observant, he liked to draw.
In 1863 he began his studies at a school at a Franciscan monastery. In addition to Greek, poetry, rhetoric, and Latin, he studied Christian doctrine, the history of religion, and other religious disciplines that influenced his way of thinking and writing. Despite his intelligence, Antonio did not do well at school, and only geometry came easily to him.
In the family, Gaudí experienced many tragedies: his brother died in 1876. Following him, his mother passed away. And 3 years later, the architect's sister passed away, leaving her daughter in his care.

Studies

In 1868 Antonio moved to Barcelona. To pay for his education, he had to sell his father's land. He became a student at the Higher School of Architecture only in 1874. Prior to this, Gaudi studied at the university at the Faculty of Exact Sciences, where he showed little diligence.
The architecture school gave more freedom for creativity and self-expression, and Gaudi soon became one of the best students. But his stubborn nature, the desire for protests often turned out to be low marks for him. The teachers decided that he was either a genius or crazy.
During his student years, the rheumatic pains in his legs finally disappeared, and in Gaudí he was able to walk normally. And it became one of his favorite things to do.
Antonio graduated in 1878. And in 1906 he suffered another grief - the death of his father. After 6 years, his niece followed him into the grave.

Carier start

From 1870 to 1882, Gaudí worked as a draftsman under the guidance of two architects, Francisco Villar and Emilio Sala. He studied crafts and participated in competitions without success.
Initially, he carried out applied orders. The first official work of the architect Gaudí was lampposts in the Plaza Reial.

These pillars were a chandelier of 6 horns mounted on a marble base. They are crowned with helmets of Mercury - a symbol of prosperity. This work was the first and last order of the city authorities, since the local municipality and Gaudí disagreed about his fee.
In 1877, the architect creates his first major creation - Fountain in Plaza Catalunya. And, since that time, he erects many unique buildings in the Art Nouveau style.

In 1883, Gaudí designed the first mansion. The rich manufacturer Manuel Vicens becomes his customer. The house needed not only to be built, but also to successfully fit into a small space. land plot, frame with a garden and at the same time create the illusion of space. The architect brilliantly coped with this task: turrets, bay windows, balconies give a simple quadrangular (cat. Casa Vicens) an amazing three-dimensionality.

In 1898 - 1900. being built (cat. Casa Calvet). Unlike other buildings of Gaudi, the house has a very traditional look, and its facades are symmetrical. The alternating convex and flat balconies, as well as bobbins and columns in the form of coils, give it its originality - a tribute to the professional affiliation of the owner, who owned the textile industry. For the construction of this building, the architect was awarded the Barcelona Municipal Prize in 1900.
Gaudi rarely considered the opinion of the customer. He was modest, but at the same time eccentric, embodied all his fantasies in his works.

He was lucky to be born at a time when the Spanish bourgeoisie got rich and decided to show their triumph to the whole world. Building a more ostentatious home than the neighbor's was an easy way to prove one's superiority. Therefore, architects with an original vision, and not always talented, were popular and had complete freedom of action.
In the same period, Gaudi erected buildings in the neo-Gothic style and in the spirit of a fortified fortress, such as the begun bishop's palace in the city of Astorga (cat. Palacio Episcopal de Astorga). The design of this building, located in Castile, was commissioned in 1887 by the Bishop of Grao i Vallespinos, a Catalan by birth. Gaudi began to build a palace in the form medieval fortress, with a moat, four towers and battlements. It was a very bold decision for the palace of the clergyman, but the bishop did not argue. The construction was interrupted by the sudden death of the customer in 1893, and the church council, dissatisfied with the excessive costs, entrusted the completion of the construction to another architect.

In addition to large-scale architectural work, Gaudí was engaged in interior design and development of furniture sketches.

Fame

All the sights of Barcelona and other cities created by Antonio Gaudi are magnificent, but the real popularity was brought to him by the works created after meeting Eusebio Güell. He was a textile magnate, the richest Catalan, with a creative flair and taste. And he became a friend and patron of the brilliant architect.
There are two versions of their friendship - one by one they met at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, where Gaudi presented the project of the village of Mataro. However, this version is hardly plausible, since the layouts of an unknown architect could not attract the attention of the public.
According to another version, Güell noticed Antonio when he was decorating a Barcelona glove store. After receiving a diploma, the young man needed money and took on any job. Decorating the window, Gaudí did it impressively too: from gloves strung on wire, he created entire scenes of urban life: horses pulling carriages, walking people and cats beloved by all Catalans.
Fascinated by the work of the master, Güell watched his work for a long time, and then asked the owner of the store to introduce him to Gaudi. Having learned that the young man was an architect, he invited him to visit him, where he received him warmly and cordially. After that, Gaudí became a frequent visitor to Güell's house. He showed him new sketches of his buildings, and Eusebio always entrusted him with the construction of precisely those that became a real masterpiece.
Many works and houses belonging to the architect Gaudi will survive the centuries, but it was these that brought him fame and finally shaped his unique style.

Palace Guell (cat. Palao Guell).

This house, the construction of which journalists compared with the construction Tower of Babel, was built in 1885 - 1900. Güell did not limit the architect in funds for construction and interior design. Only the most luxurious materials were used in the interior decoration of this house: tortoise shell, ivory, ebony and eucalyptus. And if in the interior the hall with a sky dome became the most interesting part, then in the exterior the roof with 18 chimneys in the form of bizarre turrets is most impressive.

Casa Mila (cat. Casa Mila)

The House of Mila or Casa Mila was created by Antonio Gaudi in 1906-1910. for the Mila family. At first, the people of Barcelona did not appreciate this building of a steep, curved shape, and nicknamed it La Pedrera - a quarry. The roof is also decorated with turrets that look like knights in fancy helmets, one of which is inlaid with fragments of green bottle glass.

Batllo House (cat. Casa Batllo)

Casa Batllo by Antonio Gaudí also known as Casa Batlló And house of bones, was rebuilt by Gaudi in 1904-1906. In the building, transformed by a genius, there are practically no straight lines. Its facade, obviously, depicts a dragon - the image of Evil. And the skulls and bones, guessed in the balconies and columns, are his victims. The turret with a cross - the sword of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia - pierces the dragon's body, symbolizing the victory of the forces of Light over Darkness.

Park Guell (cat. Parc Guell)

Park Güell in Barcelona was created between 1900 and 1914 and was a combination of residential areas and gardens. From a commercial point of view, this project was a failure, because the Catalans did not want to live in the hills. But nowadays Park Güell is one of the brightest sights of Barcelona. The main entrance to the park is decorated with two pavilions that look like huge gingerbread houses, and on the upper terrace there is a giant bench in the shape of a sea serpent. This Park Gaudi chose to live in and owned one of the houses.

(cat. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia)

With the birth of Antonio Gaudí, the architecture of the whole world was enriched with many works, but the Sagrada Familia became the most outstanding. Gaudi began work on this cathedral in Barcelona in 1883, but did not have time to finish it. In this building, as in many others, the architect reflected what he saw in wildlife. A forest of columns with capitals in the form of branches, intertwining, create the vault of the building, and each tower and stained-glass window tell their own biblical story.
As conceived by Gaudi, the cathedral was supposed to have 3 facades depicting the life of Christ (Birth, Passion and Resurrection). It was also planned to install 12 turrets, symbolizing the apostles, 4 taller towers dedicated to the evangelists, the tower of the Virgin Mary and the highest - 170 m, which was intended for Christ. The God-fearing Catalan did not want the temple to be higher than the Montjuic hill (171 m), because the mountain is the creation of God, and the building is of man.

Gaudí's architecture was way ahead of its time. During the construction of the Temple, Antonio Gaudí based the columns, vaults and other details on complex three-dimensional forms, which can now be recreated only by computer modeling. And the architect developed them only with the help of his imagination and intuition.

It is curious that the temple is being built solely on anonymous donations from parishioners. When this structure is completed (it is assumed that this will happen by 2026), it will become the tallest church in the world.

Antonio Gaudi was extremely mad and stubborn. Perhaps that is why quite funny cases arose with him.
Despite the fact that Gaudi rarely had conflicts with male customers, disputes with their wives were not uncommon. The mistress of the Batlo house was upset with the way their housing was being built. She noticed that because of the oval shape of the room in the music room, it would not be possible to place her daughter's piano. Gaudi ignored the tactfully expressed remarks, and left everything unchanged. The angry woman spoke sharply to the architect, but he, not embarrassed, said: the piano does not fit, buy a violin.

Gaudí and his father were vegetarians and were committed to clean water and fresh air. At the same time, Antonio, as a true Christian, showed moderation in food. For dinner, he, a man of rather large build, ate only lettuce leaves, dipped in milk, and a handful of nuts.
Gaudi passionately loved Catalonia and dreamed of enriching its culture. One day, the police mistook the unkemptly dressed architect for a tramp and stopped him. They asked him some questions in Castilian, but he answered them in Catalan. At this time, there was a fight against "Catalan nationalism", and Gaudí was threatened with prison. Finally realizing that the architect was already well-known at that time, they wanted to hush up the matter, but he continued to talk carelessly in their native language. For which he spent 4 hours in the station.
Gaudí's construction costs were colossal. When the architect, in addition to the main bill, presented the Mila family with an overtime bill, the couple refused to pay. The architect went to court, and the decision was made in his favor. The Mila family had to take out a mortgage on the house they built to pay the bill. Gaudi gave the money to one of the convents.
More scandalous things are also attributed to the architect: it is believed that he made casts of stillborn children for the scene of beating babies, and in order to accurately repeat the contours of animals, before applying plaster, he put them to sleep with chloroform.

Personal life

The great architect Gaudi spent his whole life alone. In his youth, he dressed very catchy and attracted the attention of women. However, when they learned about his profession, which at that time was considered akin to a craftsman, they lost interest in him. Women were worried about the well-being of the groom, and the work of an architect did not guarantee financial stability.
Antonio's first love was the beautiful Joseph Moreu, nicknamed Pepeta. In 1884, this wayward woman worked as a teacher at the school of the Mataro cooperative. Gaudi carried out an order for this enterprise and often visited Pepeta and her sister.
Pepeta gladly accepted the courtship of a young educated architect. Together they visited the Güell drawing room, where all the intellectuals of Barcelona gathered once a week. But at the same time, she kept the inexperienced gentleman at a distance. Finally, Antonio nevertheless proposed to her. And he was taken aback: Pepeta said that she was already engaged to a successful timber merchant.
More Gaudi did not propose to any girl. Years later, he fell in love again with one woman, a young American. But their relationship ended when she returned to the States.

Death

All his life, Gaudí loved to walk around Barcelona. But if in his youth he looked good and dressed elegantly, then in the middle of his life he stopped paying attention to his appearance and resembled a beggar.
On June 7, 1926, he left the house to take his usual walk to the church of Sant Felip Neri. At that time, he was already 73 years old, and the architect visited this church every day. While walking absentmindedly between the streets of Girona and Bailen, he was hit by a tram. Antonio lost consciousness.
The untidy appearance of the tramp led people astray. The cab drivers did not want to take him to the medical department, fearing that they would not receive money. In the end, the great architect was taken to a hospital for the poor, where he received the most primitive help. It was not until July 8 that he was recognized by the chaplain of the Sagrada Familia, but any treatment was already useless.
On June 10, 1926, the genius died. They buried him in the crypt of the temple, which he did not have time to complete.

Barcelona is a city of eternal smiles, sun and unique architecture. The sights of Antoni Gaudí are a separate chapter in the endless list of must-see places in the capital of Catalonia, and we will introduce them in our article.

The famous Catalan architect Antonio Placid Guillem Gaudí y Cornet was born in 1852 to a blacksmith's family in the small town of Reus, Catalonia. Continuing the family business, the father of the future architect traded in forging and chasing copper, and from an early age instilled in his son a sense of beauty, drawing and depicting buildings with him.

Antonio grew up as a smart boy who succeeded at school without much effort. Geometry was his favorite subject. Even in his school years, the young man began to think about his destiny and felt that his life would be somehow connected with art. Once, during a school play, Antonio tried himself as a theater artist and it was then that he realized what he wanted to devote his life to - "painting on stone", which in future generations would be described as Gaudí's architecture.

After graduating from school, Gaudi went to a city that is now impossible to imagine without the creations of the Catalan genius - Barcelona.

Architect Antonio Placid Guillem Gaudí i Cornet is the creator of the most significant sights that Catalonia is proud of

Having entered the architectural bureau here in the initial position, the young man does not leave the dream of someday starting work on his own project and building his own building.

After four years of living and working in the capital of Catalonia, Gaudi finally enters the Provincial School of Architecture, where he takes up his studies with desperate zeal. From the very first year, teachers note Antonio, noticing both his talent and amazing stubbornness, non-standard vision and audacity. Even the rector of the educational institution speaks of these qualities, presenting the 26-year-old Gaudi with an architect's diploma.

Already in his last years, the ambitious Catalan worked on serious projects and did not leave his job until the end of his life. In the summer of 1926 in Barcelona, ​​the famous architect was hit by a tram on his way to the church. Mistaking the artist for a homeless person, witnesses of the incident sent him to a hospital for the poor. Only a day later, the exhausted old man was recognized as a famous architect, but his condition at that time worsened, and he soon died.

Style

From the moment of graduating from the school of architecture, Antonio's artistic searches begin. At first, he turns to the neo-Gothic style, which was then popular in the south of Europe, then changes course to more chamber modern, "pseudo-baroque" and gothic. The sights of Antoni Gaudi are almost all, and there are 17 of them, located in Catalonia.

Subsequently, each of these areas will leave its mark on the work of Gaudí. However, Gaudí's style cannot be characterized by just one trend: from the first independent buildings of the artist, it becomes clear that their creator is a person outside the rules and time. For him, such a concept as “Gaudi decor” was forever entrenched, the style of which is recognizable always and everywhere.

Smooth lines and an unusual construction of space can be conditionally attributed to Art Nouveau, which is either approaching or moving away from neo-Gothic.

The buildings

Fountain in Plaza Catalunya - Fuente en la Plaza de Cataluña

(Catalan name -Font a la Plaça de Catalunya)

Fountain in Plaza Catalunya is considered the first independent work of Antonio Gaudí

The first independent work of Antonio is recognized as a fountain on central square Barcelona - Plaza Catalunya, designed and built in 1877. Now every guest of the capital of Catalonia can admire it by coming to the main square of the city.

Free admission.

Address: Placa de Catalunya.

How to get there: by metro, the nearest stations are Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia.

Working cooperative of Mataronin

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Cooperativa Obrera Mataronense)

The first building built by Gaudi on his own is located near Barcelona, ​​in the city of Mataro. The novice architect received an order for the design of the cooperative in 1878, and worked on it for about four years. It was originally planned to include residential buildings, a casino and other side buildings as part of the complex, but in the end only the factory and service buildings were completed.

Workers' cooperative Mataronin, whose building was designed by the genius of architecture

Now access to the building is open, and everyone can look at it, but it can only be of interest to true fans and researchers of the history of the architect. After all, the cooperative, although it inevitably reminds of its creator in every detail, does not represent such artistic value as the other buildings of the genius.

The building is now used as an exhibition space.

Opening hours:

• From July 15 to September 15 - from 18:00 to 21:00, Monday is a day off.

All other months:

Free admission.

Address: Mataro, Carrer Cooperativa 47.

How to get there:

• by train from Barcelons Stants to Mataro;
• by bus from Pl Tetuan stop to Rda. Alfons XII - Camí Ral (stops 3 minutes walk to the Workers' Cooperative);
• by car - drive along the coast to the north, the road will take no more than half an hour.

House of Vicens

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Casa Vicens)

The House of Vicens is the fateful brainchild of the great architect. Thanks to his bold design, Antonio was noticed by his future patron, philanthropist Eusebio Güell.

In 1883-1885, Gaudí designed a building that largely determined his fate. The manufacturer Manuel Vicens orders a summer residence project for his family from an architect who has just received his diploma. A young artist decides to build a building out of raw stone and colorful ceramic tiles.

The building itself is an almost perfect quadrangle, but the simplicity of the form was transformed with the help of decorative elements. Turning to the east, he decorates the building in the Mudéjar style. Here he is helped both by colored tiles (which the customer of the house specializes in), and the bold decision to lay them out in a checkerboard pattern.

Interior of Vicens' house inside

Attention to the smallest details and the desire to keep his work in a single style were already defined as a hallmark of Antoni Gaudí.

In 2005, the building was added to the List world heritage UNESCO.

It was after the construction of the Vicença House that Antonio Gaudi was noticed by the philanthropist Eusebio Güell, who later became the main customer and patron of the young architect.

Private building, closed to the public until 2017. In October 2017, the opening of the house for excursions took place..

Address: Carrer de les Carolines, 22-24.

How to get there: by metro to Fontana station (L3).

El Capriccio

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Capricho de Gaudí)

The summer mansion of the Marquis Masimo Diaz de Quixano, created by the genius of architecture, still amazes with its originality and uniqueness.

The Catalan genius builds the next building by order of the Marquis Masimo Diaz de Quixano, who was a distant relative of the architect's friend Güell. A quaint summer mansion was created in 1883-1885 in the town of Comillas and is still one of its main attractions. The building is now open to the public.

Opening hours: 10:30-17:30, with an hour break from 14:00 to 15:00.

Ticket price - 5 €.

Address: Comillas, Barrio Sobrellano.

How to get there: from Barcelona the fastest flight is to Santander (SDR airport) and from there by bus to Comillas (Comilias stop is a five minute walk from El Capriccio).

Güell Manor Pavilion - Pabellones Güell

(Catalan name -pavellons Gü ell)

Beautiful and unique in its design, the pavilion of the Güell estate is another work of Gaudí

The first order that Gaudi received directly from Güell was a project for a complex of two pavilions and a gate, which were supposed to be the main entrance to the country estate of the magnate. Initially, the complex also included the gatekeeper's house and stables, but they did not survive to our time.

The pavilion is located in Barcelona, ​​near the Palau Reial metro station on line L3, and you can visit it by purchasing a ticket for 6 €.

Address: 7 Av. Pedralbes.

How to get there: by metro to Palau Reial station (L3).

Sagrada Familia - Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia

(Catalan Name– Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia)

March 19, 1882 is considered the beginning of the construction of the most famous long-term construction. It was then that the first stone was laid in the foundation of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family. The basilica began to be built under the leadership of the then eminent Spanish architect Francisco del Villar. A year later, he left the project due to disagreements with the church council, and the young Gaudí was entrusted with continuing the construction.

Antonio Gaudi will devote 42 years of his life to the construction of the Sagrada Familia, tirelessly improving the project, supplementing it with new details and gradually modifying the idea. The artist filled each new column, statue or part of the bas-relief with symbolism and sacred meaning, being a true Christian.

His principal innovation was 18 pointed towers, each of which had a special meaning. The central and highest among them (not completed so far) is dedicated to Christ.

Facade of the Nativity

Three facades of the building also carry a sacred semantic load, which is expressed by sculptures and images on it. The main facade is dedicated to the Nativity, the other two - to the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. According to the Spanish government, the construction of the temple will be completed approximately in 2026 (which is not certain), but now you should definitely visit the Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí when you are in the capital of Catalonia.

The building is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can learn more about the ingenious creation of Gaudí in a separate article at the link.

The expiatory temple of the Holy Family is unique creation Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. The temple has become a symbol not only of Barcelona, ​​but of the whole of Spain as a whole.

Opening hours:

• November-February - 9:00-18:00;
• March and October - 9:00-19:00;
• from April to September - 9:00-20:00.

The price of the simplest entrance ticket is from 17 €.

Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401.

How to get there: to Sagrada Familia metro station (L2 and L5).

Palacio Güell - Palacio Güell

( Catalan name -Palau Gü ell)

Palace Güell not only attracts the attention of numerous tourists, but is also deservedly recognized by UNESCO.

The residential building, built by the Catalan master on the order of Guell's friend and patron, became his only building in the Old Town of Barcelona. Antonio Gaudí built the Palace Guell for five years and it was at this time that his personal style, which became recognizable all over the world, was formed.

A non-standard approach to facade decoration, appeal to Byzantine motifs and the statics of Venetian palazzos - each line of the building loudly declares its creator.

The interiors of the palace are also worth a look: whimsical fireplaces, wooden ceilings, bright stained glass windows and huge mirrors are definitely worth spending time on. Palace Güell is another building of Antonio Gaudi, listed by UNESCO.

Opening hours:

• from April 1 to September 30 - 10:00-20:00;
• From October 1 to March 31 - 10:00-17:30;
• Mon and Sun are days off.

Free admission.

Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla.

How to get there: by metro to Drassanes station (L3).

Saint Teresa College - Colegio Teresiano de Barcelona

(Catalan Name – Col legi de les Teresianes)

In 1888, Antonio Gaudí takes on the continuation of the construction of Saint Teresa College. It is still unknown which of the architects of that time started this project and why he did not continue it.

Work on the building turned out to be difficult for the architect, because he constantly had to coordinate his ideas with the customer and work with a rather “boring” material, trying not to dilute it with decorative elements. Constantly arguing with Ossi's father, who supervised the construction, the architect found justification for his decisions in biblical symbolism.

Saint Teresa College is another popular attraction in Barcelona.

Thanks to Gaudi's perseverance and his categorical unwillingness to adhere to absolute asceticism, the college building turned out to be restrained, but not without recognizable authorial features. The shape of the building was complicated, with decorative arches along the perimeter of the roof, and the facade was decorated with unique elements.

You can get inside the school during excursions, which are held on weekends from 15:00 to 20:00.

Address: Carrer de Ganduxer, 85.

How to get there: by bus 14, 16, 70, 72, 74 to the Tres Torres stop.

Bishop's Palace in Astroga

(Spanish. Palacio Episcopal de Astorga,cat. Palau Episcopal d'Astorga)

Bishop of the city of Astroga (province of Leon) Jean Batista Grau y Vallespinosa was well acquainted not only with the work of Antonio Gaudi, but also with the architect himself. No wonder that the priest ordered the design of his new residence to him. Focusing on the Gothic characteristic of Leon, Gaudí created a small castle with narrow windows, towers and gabled roofs.

Bishop's Palace in Astroga

The unique porch of the building and the entrance portico with recessed arches are a godsend of the architect. In order to create the impression of “elongation” and unreality, to dilute the familiar Gothic style, the master decided to use solid elongated stone blocks in the installation.

On this moment the palace is open for visits, the ticket price is 2.5 €.

Address: Plaza de Eduardo Castro, Astroga.

How to get there: from Barcelona the easiest way is by train to the Astroga station (the Palace is a 10 minute walk from the station).

House Botines

(Spanish: Casa Botines, cat.. Casa de los Botines

Not far from Astroga, in Leon, there is another attraction associated with the name of the Catalan master. The wealthy of Leon, seeing the new residence of Bishop Astroga, decided that the same architect should build their new tenement house. The main customer was one of them - Joan Botines, founder of the commercial union.

The house, like the palace of Jean Baptiste, was designed with an eye on local flavor. Turning again to the Gothic, Gaudi erects a rather restrained building with a small number of decorative elements.

House Botines - the legendary creation of Gaudí outside of Catalonia

Address: Leon, Plaza del Obispo Marcelo, 5.

How to get there:

• by train to Ponferrada station;
• by bus (follows from the station) to the Ponferrada stop (a five-minute walk from the House of Botines).

Güell wine cellar

(Spanish)Bodegas Guell,cat. Celler Guell)

Guell wine cellar - one of the most original wine cellars in the world

In the suburbs of Barcelona there is another construction of Gaudi, ordered by Eusebio Güell. The master worked on it in 1895-1898. A single complex included a wine cellar, a residential building and a gatekeeper's house. They are all united by a recognizable style, as well as the general idea of ​​​​building roofs - they resemble either tents or oriental pagodas, drawing all the attention to themselves.

Entrance to the complex costs 9 €.

Address: El Celler Guell, Sitges.

How to get there: by train to Garaff station.

House Calvet

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Casa Calvet)

In 1898-1890, Gaudí was busy building an apartment house on Casp Street (Carrer de Casp) in Barcelona, ​​ordered by the widow of a wealthy city man, who later became private. residential building. In the style of the building, the maestro adhered to the neo-baroque style, abandoning medieval motifs. It was this creation of the architect that received in 1900 the municipal award of Barcelona for the best building of the year.

The building can only be viewed from the outside.

Address: Carrer de Casp 48.

How to get there: by metro to Urquinaona station (L1, L4).

Crypt of Colonia Güell

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical:Crypto de la Colò nia Gü ell)

The next church in the suburbs of Barcelona Gaudí begins in 1898 as part of a project to build a colony - a small complex provided with everything necessary for the life of a micro-society.

The Crypt of Colonia Güell is one of the most original buildings in Catalonia.

Due to the protracted construction process, the architect managed to build only the crypt, and all other parts of the project remained unfulfilled.

The building is lined with multi-colored glass, and its windows are decorated with needles from the looms of the Güell factory. The building is decorated with bright stained-glass windows dedicated to church motifs.

The crypt is open from 10:00 to 19:00, the ticket costs from 7 €. The attraction is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Address: Colonia Guell S.A., Santa Coloma de Cervello.

How to get there: by buses N41 and N51 to the Santa Coloma de Cervello stop.

House of Figueres

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Casa Figueras)

One of the most recognizable houses of Antoni Gaudí is located on Bellesguard Street and is often named after her. Only on the project of the house, which in 1900 was ordered by the widow of a wealthy merchant Maria Sages, the architect worked for three years, and its construction continued until 1916.

Forming the style of the building, Gaudi returns to oriental motifs, and combines it with neo-Gothic. As a result, he gets a very light structure, striving for the sky, decorated with bizarre stone mosaics and graceful broken lines.

Figueres House is open to the public from 10:00 to 19:00 in summer and until 16:00 in winter. The ticket costs from 7 €.

Address: Carrer de Bellesguard, 16.

How to get there: by metro to Vallcarca station (L3).

Park Güell

(Spanish: Parque Güell, cat. Parc Güell)

A huge park, covering an area of ​​17.18 hectares, the Gaudí Park in Barcelona was built in the upper part of Barcelona in 1900-1914. Together with the customer Güell, they conceived a space for relaxation, fashionable among the British at that time, the “garden city”. The allotted area for the park was divided into 62 sections - for the construction of mansions.

Wealthy Catalans failed to sell them, so they began to equip the territory as an ordinary park, and then sold it to local authorities.

Now there is a house-museum of Antoni Gaudí (his mansion was one of the three bought in the park). In addition to it, there is something to see in the park: the famous mosaic sculptures, the Hall of a Hundred Columns and, of course, the curved bench and the famous Gaudi tile with which it is laid out.

A ticket for an adult visitor costs from 22.5 €.

Address: Passeig de Gracia, 43.

How to get there: by metro to Passeig de Gràcia (L3).

House Mila

(Spanish and Catalan names are identical: Casa Milà)

Almost the same symbol of Barcelona as the Sagrada Familia has long been famous House Mila. This is the last "secular" work of the architect. After its completion, he finally plunged into the construction of the Sagrada Familia, sometimes mistakenly called the CATHEDRAL. Gaudi, again, gravitating towards smooth and curved lines, creates an amazing and memorable facade.

Casa Mila is one of the symbols of Barcelona

By the way, the residents of Barcelona didn’t like it right away, and the building was nicknamed the Quarry for its heavy appearance. However, this did not prevent the House of Mila from becoming the first building of the 20th century included in the UNESCO List.

The fact is that Gaudi, acting in accordance with his principles, thought through the smallest details, not only decorative, but also functional. In Casa Mila, Antonio Gaudí designed the ventilation in the rooms in such a way that to this day it does not require air conditioning. And the interior partitions in each apartment can be moved by the owners at their discretion.

And, of course, the main innovation of that time was the underground parking, also designed by the famous architect.

Interior inside the Mila House

Mila House has been on the World Heritage List since 2005.

Address: Provença, 261-265.

How to get there: by metro to the Diagonal station (L3, L5).

Buy skip-the-line tickets to Dom Mila with an audio guide.

Sagrada Familia School

(Spanish: Escuelas de la Sagrada Familia, cat. Escoles de la Sagrada Familia)

Built as part of the complex of the Sagrada Familia, the school impresses with its simplicity and elegance at the same time. This is probably one of the most inconspicuous at first glance sights of Antonio Gaudi. Its design is a surprisingly harmonious combination of beauty and functionality.

So, a fancy roof serves not only as a decoration, but also drains rainwater without a trace. In addition, the building fully complies with church requirements.

The Sagrada Familia School can claim the title of the most original in the world in its design

A few years after the construction of the school was completed, Gaudi himself moved here to live in order to be as close as possible to the main business of his life - the Sagrada Familia.

Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401.

How to get there: by metro to the Sagrada Familia station (L2 and L5).

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

The beginning of the creative path of Antonio Gaudi

Antonio Gaudi

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

House of Vicens

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 of Vicens. These buildings were designed by Gaudí in a modernist style. For the construction of the Vicente House, the architect used raw stone and ceramic tiles. 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 bars of an unusual shape.

El Capriccio Mansion

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

The main architectural projects of Gaudí

Palace Güell

The novice architect was patronized by the textile magnate Eusebi Güell, who really liked the extraordinary architectural projects of Gaudi. Now Antonio could fully show his unique talent, without following the generally accepted rules and without limiting the flight of his imagination. Gaudi began to develop his own recognizable style. He undertook the construction of the Guell Palace, which the patron 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. Gates for the passage of horse-drawn carriages acted as a bright decorative element. The same can be said about the carved decorative ceilings, decorated with silver and gold details. Chimneys on the roof of the building have different shapes and look like unusual shapes.

The interiors of the palace are distinguished by unusual furniture specially made for them, luxuriously furnished rooms in which there are multi-colored chimneys, and grandiose parabolic arches.

House Mila

After completing work on the Palau Güell, Gaudi became a well-known architect in the city and received many orders from wealthy Barcelona residents. He created unusual residential buildings for them, which differed from each other. For example, Casa Mila, which is located at the intersection of Carrer de Provenza and Passeig de Gracia Boulevard, was created by an architect for the Mila family. This is the first building of the XX century, taken under the protection of UNESCO.

Sagrada Familia Cathedral

- the main project of the great architect, thanks to which he was 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 Antonio Gaudí.

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

The architect was constantly working on improving 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 district of the city, you can now see a unique Christian church that looks like a stalactite cave.

Inside the Sagrada Familia

Given place of worship surprises with its architectural ensemble. Gaudi managed to complete the work on the creation of the facade of the Nativity, which includes three portals, which 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. Spiers were used to decorate the bell towers, which are decorated with stylized images symbolizing the episcopal dignity. The exterior decoration of the cathedral is made up of 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, helicoidal staircases, hyperbolic vaults and round stained-glass windows.

Crypt Gaudí

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

Bellesguard Tower

Bellesguard Tower

Near Mount Tibidabo you can see the Bellesguard tower. It is a small but significant piece of architecture by Gaudí, with a straight-lined 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, Marty the Merciful. It was he who named this city Barcelona. For Gaudi, this object turned into a testing ground for his own innovations, which were subsequently used by the architect in the construction of the Sagrada Familia.

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

The word "Bellesguard" is translated as "beautiful view".

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

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

The tower is surrounded by a small picturesque garden with a porter's house, bars and a water pump. The neighboring street is the location of the viaduct, similar to a load-bearing wall, by Gaudí.

A spiral staircase will take you up to the tower from where you can admire the cityscape, the Sarria area and the Tibidabo mountain.

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 the Batllo house.

Antoni Gaudí is a Catalan architect known for his whimsical-fictional buildings, most of which are located in Barcelona, ​​Spain. His work belongs to the Art Nouveau style, but he used elements from very different styles and created a completely new architecture.

During his life he created more than 20 masterpieces of architecture. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, but without exception, they are popular tourist destinations.

Gaudi had a phenomenal mind. He practically never worked with drawings, he did all the calculations in his mind, and his main tools were imagination and intuition. Gaudí's gift was his amazing ability to draw a building in his mind and then turn it into stone.

To the birthday of Antonio Gaudi, life guide prepared for you the 7 most famous works of this brilliant architect:

1. House of Vicens (1883-1885)

This house in Barcelona was the first independent construction of Gaudí. Casa Vicens is a colorful mixture of different architectural styles, the most striking and recognizable of which is the Moorish style "mudeha". Structural forms and ornamental solutions reflected Gaudi's taste for oriental art, primarily Moorish, Persian and Byzantine.

2. Park Güell (1900-1914)

Fairy-tale houses, a bench in the form of a snake, fountains, sculptures - this is all the famous Park Güell. With an area of ​​17.18 hectares, the park is located in the upper part of Barcelona and is a combination of gardens and residential areas. Park Güell was conceived as a green residential area in the style of the urban planning concept of the garden city that was fashionable at that time in England.

3. Casa Batlló (1904 - 1906)

Casa Batlló, or as it is also called the House of Bones, was built in 1877. And if not for Antonio Gaudi, who was given the order to reconstruct the building, he would have remained an ordinary house. The most remarkable feature of Casa Batlló is the almost complete absence of straight lines in its design. The wavy outlines appear both in the decorative details of the facade, carved from hewn stone, and in the design of the interior.

All decorative elements of the house are made by the best masters of applied art. The forged elements were created by the Badia brothers, the stained-glass windows were created by the glass blower Josep Pelegri, the tiles were created by P. Pujol i Bausis son, other ceramic details were made by Sebastian i Ribo.

4. House of Mila (1906-1910)

The design of this Gaudi building was innovative for its time: a well-thought-out natural ventilation system allows you to abandon air conditioners, interior partitions in each of the apartments in the house can be moved at your discretion, there is an underground garage. The three patios (one circular and two elliptical) are characteristic design elements that the architect constantly turned to in order to fill the spaces in his buildings with enough light and fresh air.

5. El Capriccio (1983-1885)

Ruben Hoya

El Capriccio is a summer mansion on the Cantabrian coast in the town of Comillas near the city of Santander, Spain. Bizarre little palace, built in the Art Nouveau style, belongs to the early period of Gaudí's work. Multi-colored paints were chosen for the exterior decoration of the building. The plinth was decorated with yellowish-gray rustic stone; the facade was laid out with stripes of colored bricks, alternating with bright majolica tiles. Relief majolica depicted graceful flowers and sunflower leaves.

6. Palace Güell (1885 - 1890)

aussiewig

Palau Güell is an urban residential building in Barcelona, ​​built by order of an admirer of Gaudí's talent, the Catalan industrialist Eusebi Güell. In this building, the Catalan architect combined the traditional rectangular structure of medieval palaces and coffered ceilings with such innovations as, for example, the parabolic arch, characteristic of Gaudí's later work. The palace has four main floors, plus a basement (ground floor) and a flat roof with a terrace.

7. Sagrada Familia or Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (1882 - present)

This is the most famous long-term construction in Spain - the temple has been built for over 130 years! In accordance with Gaudi's project, the building was to be crowned with many monumental towers soaring upwards, and all elements of the scenery were to receive a deep symbolic meaning associated with the Gospel or church rites. Realizing that during his lifetime the work on the temple would not be completed, Gaudí also planned many of the interior details.

According to the data, the construction of the temple is planned to be completed in 2026.

In this video, you can still take a look at how this impressive design should look like in the end:

Nowadays, few people have not heard of the architect and the Sagrada Familia, his most famous work. The Catalans idolize Gaudi, because it was thanks to him that Barcelona acquired its own unique style.

Biography of Antonio Gaudí reveals a lot of interesting moments about his life, despite the fact that all his life the genius was a rather withdrawn person, having practically no friends. Architecture was the main meaning of his life, the element in which he gave no concessions to anyone, often being tough and cruel with workers. Antonio Gaudí i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in Reus (Catalonia), or in a village near this town, becoming the fifth child in the family. It is the fact that his entire childhood was spent near the sea that explains the bizarre forms of the buildings of a genius, reminiscent of sand castles. As a child, Antonio suffered pneumonia and rheumatism. Due to diseases, he had practically no friends, so the boy was often alone with nature, even then dreaming of becoming an architect. Subsequently, this influenced the creation in his creations of forms close to natural.

Since 1868, Gaudí moved to Barcelona, ​​where he took architectural courses. One of the teachers called him either a genius or crazy for his non-standard projects. Gaudi never used drawings and computers, in his work he was guided only by intuition, making all the calculations in his mind. It cannot be said that the architect was in search of his own style, he just saw the world like that, creating masterpieces of architecture. Here you can point out the fact that Antonio's ancestors, up to great-grandfathers, were boilermakers, the most complex products were made "by eye", without drawings. This, apparently, was their family feature. In 1878, he was finally noticed and received his first commission, designing a Barcelona street lamp. The project was fully implemented the following year.

House of Vicens

Vicens House (Casa Vicens, 1878) was designed for the diploma student and manufacturer of building materials Manuel Vincens at the beginning of Gaudí's architectural career. The house has a simple rectangular plan, built of stone and brick, but the architect provided the building with rich ceramics and so many outbuildings, turrets and balconies that the house looked like fairy palace. The master drew inspiration from ancient Arab architecture. Gaudi himself designed the window bars and the garden fence, as well as sketched the interior of the dining room and smoking room. In this project, for the first time, the experience of creating a parabolic arch was used. This villa can be seen on Carolines Street, unfortunately now devoid of a garden.

His career began with very modest orders, in addition to a street lamp for the Royal Square, he was engaged in the design of shop windows, designed street toilets. But thanks to this, he was noticed by the wealthy industrialist Count Eusebio Güell y Basigalupi, who became his patron and regular customer until the count's death in 1918. Count Güell gave Gaudi complete freedom, thus allowing him to express himself. Everything that Antonio built for Güell has become a collection of masterpieces that Barcelona is so proud of.

Gaudí's first job for Count Güell was the construction of the count's estate in the district of Garraf (1884-1887). Only the gate with a forged dragon survived, the appearance of a mighty monster on the gate was very symbolic, since it is part of the emblem of Catalonia, and its curves repeat the outlines of the constellation Draco. This was the whole Gaudi, all his buildings and sculptures are permeated with symbolism. Next to the gates are the entrance pavilions, which used to house the stable, the arena and the gatekeeper's house, and now the Gaudí Research Center. The domed turrets on these pavilions are reminiscent of the book One Thousand and One Nights.

The most unique work of Gaudí for the count was the building of the Barcelona residence of Güell - (1886-1891). This building is a vivid display of Gaudí's own style. The unique combination of materials and multicolor creates fantastic looks. The roof of this building is lined with decorative chimneys and ventilation pipes of unimaginable types, none of which is repeated. Gaudi did not forget about the practicality of his buildings, thanks to the huge arches it was easy for the carriages to enter the stables located under the house. Inside the house there was a spacious main hall, which was crowned with a dome with holes, so that even in the daytime, raising your head, it seemed that you were looking at the starry sky. Everything in this building is designed by Gaudí, balcony railings, furniture, moldings on the ceilings, columns (forty different shapes).

The main dream of the architect was the construction of churches, he was a deeply religious person. He was approached by the Catholic Church to complete the building of the College of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Teresa, which had been abandoned by another architect. The funds of the order were very meager, since the order had taken a vow of poverty. But Gaudi was able to give this building a refined, refined style, decorating it not luxuriously, but modestly: with the emblems of the order, turrets with crosses and arches.

Another order of the church was the episcopal palace in Astorga (1887-1893), which he never managed to finish, since the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, whose permission was required for the implementation of this project, harassed the architect with amendments, and he quit his job, since defended every stroke on his drawings. The palace was completed by another architect, but retained from Gaudí the overall appearance, reminiscent of medieval castles with its turrets and buttresses.

However, most certainly famous work the master remains the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia), made in an atypical style for temple architecture. erection of the cathedral architect Antonio Gaudi devoted a lot of time and energy, starting it in 1883, however, the building was never completed due to the death of Antonio Gaudí. After the genius died, the Sagrada Familia project remained unfinished, since Antonio did not like to draw, after him there were no author's drawings. The forms and symbolism of the cathedral are so complex, and Gaudi's method of work is so unique that all subsequent attempts to continue the construction looked too uncertain.

In addition to the Sagrada Familia, there are 13 major buildings of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, ​​giving the city a unique touch and allowing you to create an idea of ​​​​the style of a brilliant creator. These include the House of Mila (a residential building whose walls are painted on the inside, and on a flat, uneven roof there are chimneys lined with pieces of glass and ceramics), the House of Batllo (whose wavy, scaly roof resembles a giant snake), the Mirales Gate (a rounded wall , covered with tortoise shell tiles), Park Güell (which is an urban style in nature, there is not a single straight line here, this park has become the pearl of Barcelona), the church of the Guell country estate, the Bellesgvard house (a villa in the form of a Gothic castle with stained glass windows of a complex star shape ) and of course many others, since, having entered “fashion” among rich citizens, he did not go out of it until the end of his life.

Architect Antonio Gaudi died when he was hit by a tram on June 7, 1926. There is widespread information that on this day the first tram was launched in Barcelona and allegedly it was the architect who crushed the architect, but this is just a legend. Gaudí was a neglected old man and was mistaken for a homeless man. He died three days later on June 10, in a homeless shelter, but was accidentally identified by an elderly woman. And thanks to her, the great architect was not buried in a common grave, but was buried with honors in the building of his entire life, the Sagrada Familia, where you can see his grave and death mask.

By decision of UNESCO, Park Güell, the Güell Palace and the House of Mila were declared heritage of mankind.

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