Gaudi and his creations. Saint Antonio Gaudi - a brilliant architect from Barcelona

Long ago, Barcelona gained a reputation as a place open to all ideas and movements. There was enough room for everyone: traders, artisans, artists, architects, people of different nationalities and religions, just dreamers obsessed with the utopian idea of ​​turning it into a paradisiacal garden city... Who knows, maybe God heard the latter and, touched by the purity and naivety these thoughts, as a consolation, he nevertheless threw a handful of magic seeds from heaven, from which, breaking the thickness of the concrete, wonderful, bizarre flowers sprouted and blossomed - the creations of the great Antonio Gaudi. They are the ones who will give Barcelona a unique look and make it the world capital of modernity.

Gaudi left behind mysteries, the answers to which humanity is still looking for; his name is shrouded in a veil of myths and legends. Some considered him a genius, some a madman, some a saint... “This man with bottomless blue eyes talks to God,” many of his contemporaries assured. Antonio Gaudi i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the small Catalan city of Reus. The midwife said the boy would not survive. The child was urgently baptized, in a hurry to save the baby’s soul. Miraculously, death subsided, but the baby was given a terrible diagnosis - a severe form of arthritis. Doctors determined the maximum lifespan of a small patient - no more than three years. Through the efforts of doctors or the prayers of his mother, Antonio overcame this milestone, but the forecasts still did not inspire optimism. From the conversations of adults, the boy knew for sure that the day when he would join his three brothers who died in infancy was very close...

When Antonio was 5 years old, his mother said: “I will take you to Tarragona to visit the Virgin Mary.” The baby was unable to kneel in front of the Virgin because of terrible pain in his legs. Bowing his head, he whispered: “Thank you for living so long!”

Over time, the boy's health will improve noticeably, although attacks of arthritis will torment him throughout his life.

Life goes on!

Despite the constant physical suffering that did not allow Antonio to play with his peers in their noisy, fun games, he rejoiced in every day given to him by the Lord, and sought to absorb all the magic that was happening every moment in this world. The movement of waves, the flight of clouds, the rustle of the wind, the incredibly perfect design of a snail crawling on the sea sand... He desperately wanted to stay in this beautiful world, but even more wanted to understand how it worked. " Man is not a creator, he is a discoverer. Whoever seeks the laws of nature to support his new works helps the Creator" Gaudi would devote his entire life to this principle, leaving no room in it for either a home or the woman he loved. He will raise his creations like a loving father raises children, step by step, enriching their world with new opportunities for independent living, putting them on their feet, dressing them in amazing colorful outfits and... letting them go. And then they develop and evolve together with nature, merging with it into a single whole, without human participation. He will help the Creator bring closer the onset of this new era - the absolute kingdom of beauty and harmony.

The children again started some kind of game on the seashore. But the small figure of six-year-old Antonio remains motionless. His gaze is fixed on the water. The shape of the waves is never repeated: in one big one there are hundreds of others, smaller ones. " If people lived at sea, they would not feel lonely. Streets and houses would merge into one element, but at the same time they would never become faceless, similar to each other».

On the seashore, Antonio will build his first house from sand. Much later he will say: “ You take a handful of damp sand in your palm, squeeze it down drop by drop, and from the random drops, alien to rational calculation, suddenly towers begin to grow - the first, second, third... All are similar, but none repeats the other, each is individual" In the creation of Gaudí's entire life - the temple of the holy family, the Sagrada Familia - millions of people will recognize the sand castles that they themselves built in childhood.

Young romantic

In 1863, Gaudi entered the monastery school, which gave him a secondary education and two wonderful friends: young romantics Eduardo Toda and Jose Rivera loved to spend time in nature and explore historical places. Three teenagers prepared the publication of 12 issues of the weekly magazine with stories about their research. Toda and Rivera worked on the text, Gaudí on the illustrations. In addition, friends often staged amateur performances that took place anywhere - even in attics and barns. Gaudi preferred to create scenery. Later, the friends presented their own business plan for the restoration of the Poblet monastery. The plan remained on paper, but the idea of ​​the project itself strengthened Gaudi’s intention to become an architect. Subsequently, the paths of the comrades diverged. Toda served in the diplomatic department in Madrid, and Rivera studied medicine in Granada and became a professor. After resigning, he returned to his hometown and... led the restoration of the monastery in Poblet. Thanks to his work, the monastery has become today one of the brightest attractions of Catalonia.

In 1869, after finishing school, Antonio entered preparatory courses at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Barcelona. He studies very poorly. At his final exams, out of six subjects, he fails two, including drawing. This, however, did not prevent Gaudí from entering the Higher School of Architecture in 1874, where he immediately established himself as a very unusual student.

In 1876, brother Antonio became seriously ill and died, and 2 months after this tragedy his mother also died. Antonio took care of his father, sister and niece: in parallel with his studies, he worked part-time as a draftsman in an architectural bureau. It is not surprising that Gaudí often missed classes and his academic performance left much to be desired. Despite this, Gaudi still completed his studies. Receiving an architect's diploma did not mean that orders immediately poured in for the young specialist. He continued to work as a draftsman, presenting his own designs from time to time. In 1878, Gaudí was commissioned by a well-known leather glove manufacturer in Barcelona to design a display window for the World Exhibition in Paris. The showcase delighted visitors, major newspapers and the richest industrialist and philanthropist Eusebio Güell. The latter was captivated by the talent of the young architect and immediately offered Gaudi several orders. However, he is not alone.

Houses and trees

Gaudí never thought of his projects as free-standing buildings. He will create a special world around them, and he will do this without sketches and drawings, horrifying famous architects. They talked about another eccentricity of the architect: he did not recognize people wearing glasses and never wore them himself, although one of his eyes was nearsighted and the other farsighted. The manufacturer, Don Manuel Vincennes, was not frightened by these oddities. He commissions an architect to design a summer house. Casa Vincennes (“House of Vincennes”) will be the master’s first major work, thanks to which he will be recognized in the highest circles of Barcelona. While examining the future construction site, Gaudi notices a huge palm tree surrounded by a carpet of yellow flowers. In 2 years, Gaudi will “grow” a palace in the courtyard of Don Vincennes. There is nothing accidental here - he even creates the fence of the house in the form of palm leaves, because the same palm trees grow in the garden. The material with which Gaudi decorated the entire house of the manufacturer is becoming incredibly popular: the cold slab looks warm and alive. People were amazed at what an incredible house Don Vincennes got for himself. And even though he almost went bankrupt paying for Gaudi’s follies, he bought himself a place in eternity: in Barcelona, ​​houses built by Gaudi are still called by the names of their customers.

Another fantastic creation of Gaudí is Park Güell. The customer of this project was Eusebio Güell, who gave Gaudi complete freedom of action (including financial). Gaudi, as usual, built without drawings. Why does a dream come true need drawings?

When you stand in Park Güell, it seems as if you are floating above Barcelona. Many people compare this place with the Wonderland he told about: the rabbit hole at first went straight, like a tunnel, then suddenly dived down. Suddenly a tree appeared on the way, and now it was a column, and a second later it was neither this nor that. The broken trunk suddenly turns out to be a path, which in fact is not a path at all, running along the ground, but an arch going into the sky. Gaudi fit the park into the space so skillfully that it is almost impossible to understand where architecture ends and nature begins. Looking at the supporting columns supporting the park paths, you involuntarily remember that when asked which treatise on architecture Gaudí prefers, he answered: “ Any tree. Nature created this tree from its own material, twisted it into an incomprehensible mosaic in which the pattern was never repeated. Deep wrinkles cut through the rough trunk. Knots of branches protrude from it, like human joints. Life pulsates under the bumps and cracks of the bark».

In the famous “hall of a hundred columns” (actually there are 86 of them), the columns inside are the same trees: rainwater flows down the hollow trunks inside. Nearby, the famous tailless lizard is basking in the sun. Gaudi sent water from underground springs through her veins. People believe that even the spray in which this creature bathes is healing. Meanwhile, Gaudí revives the world's longest bench by choosing its shape. Gaudí ordered the workers to take off their clothes and sit as comfortably as possible on a fresh layer of mortar, then he made seats and backs based on the impression they received, and they became an extension of the human body. By the way, if the bench were straight, it would accommodate half as many people.

Salvador Dali could stay here for hours. The artist’s paintings capture images snatched from Gaudi’s world.

At the same time, Gaudi began work on the Sagrada Familia, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and perhaps the most famous long-term construction project. The first architect of the cathedral was Professor Francisco del Villar, and Gaudi was recruited by this recognized master to work as an assistant. In 1883, due to disagreements with customers, the old professor was forced to leave the project. Gaudi took his place. He plunges into his work headlong, but this does not stop him from completing private orders. Construction of the temple progressed so slowly that Gaudí has ​​been accused of irresponsibility. " My customer is in no hurry“, the mysterious Gaudi answers this.

The first donkeys and snails appear on the façade of the cathedral. To make casts of animals. Gaudí puts them to sleep with chloroform, coats them with fat and casts them before they can even wake up. The gutters are also made in the form of shells and snails. Gaudi does not imitate nature, he becomes nature itself, and, like her, he creates and grows his houses. It splashes the walls of buildings with waves, turning them into elements, and bends the roofs with dragon scales. The famous staircase, “Gaudi’s snail,” appears in the Sagrada Familia. He twists the steps in a spiral in such a way that it turns out to be a giant sea shell. " Endless rotation from the center outward is the only opportunity to constantly expand while remaining yourself. I know how to compress space into a point without making it smaller. Create infinity around a point».

In the center of the workers' village in Santa Coloma de Cervello (it was also called the Colony of Güell, since it was built with the money of this philanthropist), the architect created the famous Gaudí Crypt. This room was supposed to become a temple, but the master did not have time to complete the work. However, even a fragment of the plan that managed to come to fruition is a real masterpiece. A lot of things seem strange here. The church is threatening to collapse like a house of cards. It does not have a single support that is usual for any architectural building. Gaudi made the crypt support itself. He discovered new ways of supporting-free flooring. Cement was poured into a square iron mesh, under its weight the grate sagged, the cement hardened and an arch was formed. Gaudi called ordinary pointed arches “crutches”. Since childhood, he knew what crutches were for - to smooth out physical deficiencies. Gaudi managed to rid architecture of them. The architect took a specially prepared form, then carefully laid stone blocks along its contour, after which the form was removed - and not a single stone fell. And here’s the mystery: the more fragile its arches look, the stronger they turn out to be. Gaudi also designed the mitas for the crypt himself. These are amazingly comfortable pieces with curved lines and bone-shaped legs.

Science fiction writer Stanislav Lem wrote that in the 24th century, science will mix the gene of living and non-living things and chairs will grow in the forest, edible stools will grow in the garden beds, and chests of drawers will run across endless fields. Gaudi was given the opportunity to get ahead of the most fantastic future. Already in the 19th century, he learned to revive objects and adapt them to people.

Beauty care

Meanwhile, Gaudi is gradually changing. Once dressed in the latest fashion, the sociable Antonio becomes more and more immersed in his thoughts. He no longer orders clothes from the most fashionable tailors in Barcelona. Gradually, the master begins to lose interest in everything that is not related to his work, women, and friends. But he is becoming more and more religious.

Suddenly, at the very peak of his architectural career, Gaudí ceased to be interested in expensive private projects; he easily refused the most lucrative offers. Rumors spread around Barcelona - Gaudi really has a special customer, it is for him that he is building the Sagrada Familia, which is destined to become a stone Bible. This will be the case if construction is completed. The tallest tower (170 m) will personify Christ, the smaller tower will represent the Virgin Mary, and the other 12 towers will represent the 12 apostles. Three facades are three sacraments: the Birth, the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. The cathedral will be crowned by a huge, luminous cross. Gaudi still doesn't have any drawings. By chance, on a construction site, he drops a phrase that can explain a lot: “ All architecture already exists in nature, you just need to look around. You can rush into the sky only by leaning on the ground. How strong is a sheer rock hanging over a deep abyss. The earth holds the stone, the stone holds the earth. An unbreakable alliance of giants. Mountain lines hide the secret of strength».

Gaudi often visited the monastery on Montserrat. He dissolved in the sounds of the mass, the choir sang, and something happened to the architect. It is not known for certain, but they say that once forty-two-year-old Gaudi came out after mass and stood silently on the mountain for a long time, as if he himself had turned to stone, plunging into a trance so deeply that he even fell into a lethargic sleep. There is a version that during one of his pilgrimages to Montserrat, Gaudi had some kind of spiritual experience that he did not dare to talk about. Gaudi probably made some decision then. He told everyone that from now on he would work only on religious orders, and if he was offered work on a secular project, he would have to ask permission from the Madonna of Montserrat. It was not possible to obtain any other details from the architect.

Sweet apple of discord

And yet, two more private projects were destined to see the light of day. Detractors quipped: “The master, apparently, needed the money so much that Madonna gave the go-ahead.” Let us hasten to disappoint them. Gaudi spent all the income from these projects on the construction of the Sagrada Familia, as well as all his savings. Considering that Gaudi was the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, ​​the funds were considerable. Barcelona - the Quarter of Discord: a strange name that can be translated both as “quarter” and “apple”, appeared due to the fact that the houses of four of the best modernist architects are located on the streets of this part of the city. Casa Batllo, which Gaudi built here, was called the “House of Bones”.

The result of the architect's work shocked many Barcelona residents. People still don't know how to react to it. This is not a house, but a living creature, a defeated dragon. The back of the lizard is struck by a spire with a cross - this is the sword of St. George, the patron saint of Barcelona. In the morning sun, the mosaic scales shimmer as if the flesh were in agony beneath it. A comment from Gaudí himself has been preserved: “ The building will have no corners. The sun will illuminate the house from all four sides, and all this will be close to our idea of ​​​​paradise».

Another famous building is Casa Mila, a house nicknamed "The Quarry". Gaudi twisted, bent and broke stone walls as he pleased. This planning principle was used in architecture for the first time. Now we call it open plan. Gaudi explained that the external forms of Casa Mila merge with the contours of the mountains surrounding Barcelona. The funnel-like courtyards are rock crevices, the rooms are moss growing wild on the rock. The roof of the house is a heavenly forest. It was conceived as a walking terrace. Residents walked through the sky forest, where fancy chimneys were built instead of trees. Gaudn made the stone rose on the facade himself, but first brought the mason to tears when he demanded from him not just a rose, but “the idea of ​​a rose.” The poor guy never understood what the master wanted from him.

Casa Mila was built as an ordinary residential building, but Gaudi conceived it as a twin of Montserrat and wanted to give it special meaning. He managed to achieve such a play of light and shadow on the facade that the illusion of movement is created, and if you look closely, it seems that the house is swaying. Having completed these projects, Gaudí worked only on the temple, moving into a workshop. He felt sorry for wasting time on the road home. The Sagrada Familia replaced his home, sleep, bread and water. Gaudi spoke of the temple as a living being and called it his family. The architect forgot to drink and eat, his only suit was so worn out that it looked more like beggar's rags. When construction stopped, the architect rushed around the city in search of money and did not hesitate to even ask for alms. The townspeople whispered: “Gaudi’s mysterious customer still began to rush him...”

Unexpectedly for everyone, the master made the first sketches of the temple complex. Changing his usual manner, Gaudí created a large number of sketches, models and casts. All this was intended for the future architects of the Sagrada Familia. Gaudi seemed to know that he would not have time to complete the temple. He needed to pass on knowledge to those who would come later. It will be a place like a forest, soft light will pour through window openings located at different heights, and it will seem to you that the stars are shining. One has only to throw back one’s head, and the columns of the temple will become giant trees, on the crowns of which the heavenly light will freeze—light turned into shadow. Clouds are the only opportunity to look at the sun; their variability frames the solar constancy. Any architectural form is born on the verge of light and shadow. Gaudi installed the Towers of the Nativity contrary to all the then known laws of strength of strength, explaining that this would help the wind passing through the holes to sound like a real choir. One poet asked: “Are you creating an organ for the Lord?” The architect nodded in agreement. His task was to make the wind resonate so that the music of creation could be heard in the temple.

Another time, the bishop asked why Gaudi was worried about finishing the spiers and roofs, because no one would see them. " Monsignor, - Gaudi's answers, - angels will look at them!»

Gaudi managed to finish only one of the three facades - the Nativity façade. All his models and drawings were subsequently destroyed. During the Civil War, the architect's workshop burned down, but by some miracle the construction of the temple continues, although the cathedral is still far from completion - Gaudi left too many mysteries for engineers and architects. Decades passed before engineers found a way to make calculations for further work, and the only program capable of performing them was the NASA program. But Gaudí's beloved child continues to grow even after his death. Like a huge magnet, the cathedral attracts millions of people from all over the world. And now it is no longer her great father, but the building itself that continues to dictate its will. Like medieval cathedrals, the Sagrada Familia was built only by voluntary donations. It is built by representatives of different countries, different peoples and even different religions. They say that whoever creates even one small detail for the Sagrada Familia will never be able to stop.

On June 7, 1926, a short, poorly dressed man came out of the church. He smiled at the kids and wandered towards the street. He didn't look around anymore. A pedestrian, carried away by his thoughts, fell under a tram. The first tram launched in Barcelona.

No one recognized the famous architect in the poor tramp. Gaudi lay on the pavement for several hours before, bleeding, he was finally taken to the Santa Cruz hospital for the poor: no one wanted to carry a bloody old man in their car. Three days later Gaudi died.

The newspapers were full of headlines: “There is no genius in Barcelona!”, “A saint has died in Barcelona!” The funeral procession stretched for several kilometers. Gaudi rests in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. Eyewitnesses swore that on the day of his funeral in Barcelona even the stones cried, and at the time of the funeral, the towers of the cathedral bowed their heads mournfully.

In 2003, the Vatican began the process of canonization of the great Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi.

Antonio Gaudi(25 June 1852, Reus - 10 June 1926, Barcelona, ​​full name:Antonio Gaudi and Cornet), is an outstanding Spanish architect, a bright and original representative of organic architecture in European Art Nouveau. Antonio Gaudi developed new ideas about architecture, drawing inspiration from the forms of living nature, and developed original means of spatial geometry.

Gaudi created many architectural objects in Barcelona.

Few architects in the world have had such a significant impact on the appearance of their city or created something so iconic for their culture. Antonio Gaudi is Spain's most famous architect. Gaudi's work marked the highest flowering of Spanish Art Nouveau. A distinctive feature of Gaudi's style is that organic, natural forms (clouds, trees, rocks, animals) became the sources of his architectural fantasies. Gaudi's natural world became the main source of inspiration when solving both artistic, design and constructive problems. Antonio Gaudi hated closed and geometrically regular spaces, and walls drove him straight to madness; he avoided straight lines, believing that a straight line is a creation of man, and a circle is a creation of God. Gaudi declares war on the straight line and forever moves into the world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakably recognizable style.

Antonio Gaudi was born on June 25 1852 . in the city of Reus, near Barcelona, ​​in a family belonging to a family of hereditary masons. WITH 1868 . lived in Barcelona, ​​where in 1873-1878. studied at the Higher Technical School of Architecture. Gaudi studied various crafts (carpentry, metal forging, etc.) in the workshop of E. Punti.

In Europe at that time there was an extraordinary flowering of the neo-Gothic style, and young Antonio Gaudi enthusiastically followed the ideas of neo-Gothic enthusiasts - the French architect and writer Viollet-le-Duc (the largest restorer of Gothic cathedrals in the 19th century, who restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris) and the English critic and art critic John Ruskin. The declaration they proclaimed, “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture,” was fully consistent with Gaudi’s own thoughts and ideas and, one might say, became the architect’s creative credo for many years.

But to an even greater extent, Gaudi was influenced by real local Gothic with its picturesque combination of European and Oriental, Moorish motifs.

In 1870-1882. carried out applied orders (sketches of fences, lanterns, etc.) in the workshop of architects E. Sala and F. Villar. Gaudí's first independent work (fountain in Plaza Catalunya, 1877 .) revealed the bright whimsicality of the author’s decorative imagination.

In 1880-83 A building was built according to his design - Casa Vicens, where Gaudi used the polychrome effects of ceramic cladding, so characteristic of his mature works. The house, built for the owner of the ceramic factory M. Vicens - Casa Vicens (1878-80), looked like a fairy-tale palace. In accordance with the owner’s desire to see a “kingdom of ceramics” in his country residence, Gaudi covered the walls of the house with multi-colored iridescent majolica tiles, decorated the ceilings with hanging stucco “stalactites,” and filled the courtyard with fancy gazebos and lanterns. The garden buildings and the residential building formed a magnificent ensemble, in the forms of which the architect first tried out his favorite techniques: an abundance of ceramic decoration; plasticity, fluidity of forms; bold combinations of different style elements; contrasting combinations of light and dark, horizontals and verticals.

The Vicens House is a dialogue with Arabic architecture. An asymmetrical design of the facades, a broken roof line, geometric patterns, forged grilles on windows and balconies, bright colors due to ceramics - these are the distinctive features of Casa Vicens.

In 1887-1900 Antonio Gaudi carried out a number of projects outside of Barcelona (Episcopal Palace in Astorga, 1887-1893; Casa Botines in Leon, 1891-1894; etc.), giving his neo-Gothic stylizations an increasingly freer character. Antonio Gaudi also acted as a restorer.

In 1883-1885, according to Gaudí's design, El Capriccio (cat. Capricho de Gaudí) was created - a summer mansion on the Cantabrian coast in the town of Comillas near the city of Santander. Structurally, the project uses a horizontal distribution of space, with living spaces facing the valley that descends to the sea. The ground floor houses the kitchen and utility services; on the ground floor there are spacious halls, a smoking room, living quarters and several guest bedrooms with private bathrooms. Through the gallery from any bedroom you can get into the heart of the building - a living room with a two-level ceiling.

The outside of the building is faced with rows of brick and ceramic tiles. The main facade is emphasized in the plinth with a rustic design painted in ocher and gray colors with rough relief. The first floor is faced with wide rows of multi-colored bricks alternating with narrow stripes of majolica tiles with relief casts of sunflower inflorescences.

IN 1883 . Gaudi met a textile tycoonEusebio Güell, who became for him not only his main customer and patron, but also his best friend. For 35 years, until the death of the philanthropist, the architect designed everything necessary for life for his family: from household items to mansions and parks. This textile magnate, the richest man in Catalonia, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget.

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

In 1884-87. created the ensemble of the Güell estate near Barcelona. Wall cladding with mosaics made of crushed ceramic tiles became a distinctive feature of Gaudí's buildings. The most famous buildings of Park Güell on estate lands (1900-14) - the so-called. “Greek Temple” (a room for an indoor market), in which the architect erected a whole forest of 86 columns, and an “Endless Bench” several hundred meters long, wriggling like a snake.

In this park, Gaudi tried to embody ideas that exist in nature, but have never been implemented in architecture. The buildings seem to have grown out of the ground, all together they form a single whole, very organic, despite the variety of shapes and sizes.

The stamp of the architect's genius is marked on the famous curvilinear bench of the Hall of a Hundred Columns and the house-museum of the architect himself, the convent of St. Teresa (Convento Teresiano) and the house of Calvet (La Casa Calvet ).

In 1891, the architect received an order to build a new cathedral in Barcelona - the Sagrada Familia (Temple of the Holy Family). The Sagrada Familia temple became the highest fruit of the master's imagination. Attaching particular importance to this building as a monumental symbol of the national and social renaissance of Catalonia, Antogio Gaudí with1910 . focused entirely on it, placing his workshop here.

The style in which the cathedral is made is vaguely reminiscent of Gothic, but at the same time, it is something completely new, modern. The building of the Sagrada Familia cathedral is designed for a choir of 1,500 singers, a children's choir of 700 people and 5 organs. The temple was to become the center of the Catholic religion. From the very beginning, the construction of the temple was supported by Pope Leon XIII.

Work on the creation of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 . under the leadership of architects Juan Martorell and De Villar (Francisco de P. Del Villar). IN 1891 . construction was headed by Antoni Gaudi. The architect retained the plan of his predecessor - a Latin cross with five longitudinal and three transverse naves, but made his own changes. In particular, he changed the shape of the capitals of the crypt columns, the height of the arches was increased to10 m , the stairs were moved to the wings instead of their intended frontal placement. He constantly refined the plan during construction.

According to Gaudi's plan, the Church of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia) was to become a symbolic building, a grandiose allegory of the Nativity of Christ, represented by three facades. The eastern one is dedicated to Christmas; the western one - the Passion of Christ, the southern one, the most impressive, should become the facade of the Resurrection.

The portals and towers of the Sagrada Familia are richly sculpted to resemble the entire living world, with a dizzying complexity of profiles and detailing that surpasses 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 for thirty-five years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity façade, which is structurally the eastern part of the transept, and the four towers above it. The western part of the apse, which forms the largest part of this magnificent building, is still unfinished.

More than seventy years after Gaudí's death, construction of the Sagrada Familia continues today. Spiers are gradually being erected (only one was completed during the architect’s lifetime), facades with figures of the apostles and evangelists, scenes of the ascetic life and atoning death of the Savior are being decorated. Construction of the Church of the Holy Family is expected to be completed by2030 .

One of Gaudí's most popular buildings, the Batlot House (1904-06), is the fruit of a bizarre fantasy of purely literary origin. It has a developed plot - St. George kills the dragon. The first two floors resemble the bones and skeleton of a dragon, the texture of the wall resembles its skin, and the roof of a complex pattern resembles its spine. A turret and several groups of chimneys of various complex shapes, lined with ceramics, are installed on the roof.

Casa Batlo is a lyrical creation, where the harmony of color and plastic texture of the material are masterfully used. The architectural and sculptural decor seems to consist of living forms, frozen only for a moment. The symbolism of the living is completed in the design of the roof in the form of a dragon’s back.

Among the masterpieces of modern architecture is the Casa Mila (1906-10), one of the famous Art Nouveau buildings, which received the name “La Pedrera” (quarry), due to the strangeness of this structure. This is a six-story apartment building located on a corner plot with two courtyards and six light wells.

The building, like the apartments, has a complex curvilinear plan. Initially, Gaudí intended to give curved outlines to all internal partitions, but later abandoned this, giving them broken outlines that contrast with the wavy surface of the façade. New constructive solutions were used in the Mila house: there are no internal load-bearing walls, all interfloor ceilings are supported by columns and external walls, in which balconies play a constructive role.

Gaudi and Barcelona: Gaudi's works in Barcelona, ​​the creative path of the architect, the main architectural projects of Antonio Gaudi, the project of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

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“It is madness to try to depict a non-existent object,” wrote the very young Antonio Gaudi in his diary. Shortly before this, in one of his greatest works, Arthur Schopenhauer noted: “The similarity between a genius and a madman is that both live in a completely different world from all other people.” It is unknown whether Gaudí was familiar with the works of Schopenhauer, but one thing is clear: thanks to architectural madness, a mixture of styles, and sparkling creative imagination, he entered the history of art as an undisputed genius, living in a completely different world, which he created himself.

The beginning of the creative path of Antonio Gaudi

Gaudi first became acquainted with Barcelona in the mid-19th century, worked as a draftsman, studied crafts, and performed many small jobs. At this time, the neo-Gothic style dominated the architecture of the city, which was then worshiped by venerable art historians and critics, and the rich decorativeness of which was enthusiastically followed by the young Antonio Gaudi.

Gaudi's first projects in the Art Nouveau style were the private residential House of Vicens and the summer mansion on the Cantabrian coast, El Capriccio. The Vicens House was built with ceramic tiles and rough stones in checkerboard and floral patterns. It is decorated with turrets and bay windows, protruding facades and balconies fenced with original grilles. The El Capriccio mansion is a distinctive building with a stunning view of the valley descending to the sea. Like all of the architect's projects, the structure is unique, lined with rows of bricks and ceramic tiles of different colors.

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The main architectural projects of Antoni Gaudi

The decisive factor in the work of Antoni Gaudi was the meeting with Eusebi Güell, a textile magnate who became the patron and main admirer of the talent of the aspiring architect. Having finally received freedom of expression, Gaudi finally renounced the rules and restrictions established in architecture, creating his own, easily recognizable style. Palace Güell became a gift to a patron of the arts and one of the best creations of the master.

The urban apartment building on Carrer Nou de la Rambla is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a whimsical reflection of Gaudí's attempts to combine decorative steelwork and structural elements in the form of flat Byzantine vaults. A striking decorative element was the gate through which horse-drawn carriages entered, carved wooden ceilings decorated with elements of gold and silver. The roof of the palace also did not go unnoticed by the architect: the chimneys here are made in the form of unusual figures of various shapes.

The interior is particularly impressive, with grandiose parabolic arches, luxuriously furnished rooms with multi-colored chimneys and unusual furniture specially made for the palace.

After Palau Güell became widely known in Barcelona, ​​orders poured in, making Gaudí one of the city's most popular architects. He built houses for the richest people in the capital of Catalonia, each more unusual and interesting than the other. For example, Casa Milà, located at the intersection of Passeig de Gràcia with Carrer de Provença, was built by Gaudi specifically for the Milà family and became the first of the 20th century buildings to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Project of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral

The famous Cathedral became Gaudi's main project, which made him famous throughout the world. Initially, the then unknown architect Francesco Villar, together with Joan Mortarella, was responsible for the construction of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Villar soon abandoned this project and Antoni Gaudi took his place. The most amazing thing is that the Cathedral has not yet been built; the plan still has grandiose towers, extensions, domes and interior decoration. According to the Spanish government, the cathedral will be completely completed only in 2026.

Gaudi thought through, improved, and rewrote the building plan several times. Construction work was often suspended, and yet, in the northern part of Barcelona, ​​a unique Christian church appeared, reminiscent of a stalactite cave, standing under a huge sculptural frieze of which it seems that it is about to collapse.

Gaudi died at the age of 74 next to the creation of his entire life - the Sagrada Familia - under the rails of the first tram launched at Mount Tibidabo.

The entire architectural ensemble of the church is a mixture of trends and styles, giving originality to the building. The so-called Nativity façade was almost entirely built during Gaudi’s lifetime and consists of three portals symbolizing Orthodox shrines - Faith, Hope and Love. All of them are decorated with sculptures depicting scenes from the Bible. For example, above the Portal of Hope you can see the scene of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph and the famous shrine of Catalonia - Mount Montserrat. Each of the unusually shaped towers corresponds to a specific Apostle. The bell towers are decorated with spiers with stylized images of symbols of the episcopal rank. Liturgical texts and quotations from the Bible are widely used in the exterior decor of the church. All elements of interior decor are distinguished by smooth lines and the dominance of such geometric models as hyperboloid, hyperbolic paraboloid, helicoid and conoid, ellipsoid. Strict frameworks outlined by specific geometric shapes led to the fact that everything in the interior of the cathedral is subject to special rules: round stained glass windows, hyperbolic vaults and helical staircases and, of course, stars.

Gaudi died at the age of 74 next to the creation of his entire life under the rails of the first tram launched near Mount Tibidabo. He was buried in the crypt of the unfinished Holy Family Cathedral.

Gaudi's Magic Houses are located primarily in Barcelona, ​​as this is where Antoni Gaudi lived and worked. Of course, Gaudi was not the only one who created modern Barcelona. The city saw many talented architects during a relatively short period of time called the Catalan Renaissance. In addition to Gaudi's Barcelona, ​​there is also modern Barcelona, ​​Gothic Barcelona, ​​and the "Spanish Village" district, which embodies the styles of all Spanish provinces, and the famous Rambla - the district of old Barcelona. But Gaudi's Barcelona is something special, incomparable. The thirteen objects (not always buildings) built by Gaudí in Barcelona give it its originality and charm and are an irresistible attraction for tourists.

At the beginning of Gaudí's independent work, his first, richly decorated, early Art Nouveau projects were built:

“Stylist Twins” - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona)

Quirky El Capricho (mood) (Comillas, Cantabria).

And also the compromise pseudo-baroque House of Calvet (Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the townspeople during his lifetime (by the way, the house was built without a single load-bearing wall inside).

Gaudi was extremely uncommunicative and even withdrawn. He's even cruel to people. Gaudí never married. Since childhood, he suffered from rheumatism, which prevented him from playing with other children, but did not interfere with long solitary walks, to which he had a passion all his life. He did not recognize luxury and wealth, ate and dressed haphazardly. - when it concerned him personally. But at the same time he built luxurious buildings. There were no records left from Gaudí; he had no close friends. And many of the circumstances of his life have still not been clarified. Calvet House inside:

Decisive for the flourishing of the young architect was his meeting with Eusebi Güell. Gaudí later became a friend of Güell. This textile magnate, the richest man in Catalonia, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget. Palace Guell:

A great architect who almost never worked with drawings, whose work was based on scrupulous mathematical calculations, a subversive of authority and a trendsetter who created outside of established styles. His main tools were imagination, intuition and... mental calculations. You could say he was the Einstein of architecture. Palace Güell, view from the roof:

Having gained financial "independence", Gaudí goes beyond the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, declaring war on the straight line and forever moving into the world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakably recognizable style.

Antonio Gaudí i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona, in Catalonia. He was the fifth and youngest child in the family of boilermakers Francesc Gaudí i Serra and his wife Antonia Cornet i Bertrand. It was in his father’s workshop, as the architect himself admits, that the sense of space awakened in him.

Gaudi's Barcelona is a fairy tale embodied in architecture. Onlookers mill around in front of his residential buildings. It is strange that people live in these tower houses, and not fairy-tale creatures; that under these raised roofs, behind these curved facades with swollen balconies, everyday life goes on. It is even more difficult to imagine that every detail of this excessively lush decor carries not only an aesthetic, but also a functional load. That is, it was created not only to amaze the imagination: rich Barcelonans are accustomed not only to luxury, but also to comfort.

With the completion of the palace, Antoni Gaudí ceased to be an anonymous builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, ​​soon becoming an "almost unaffordable luxury". For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other: a space that is born and develops, expanding and moving, like living matter.

Mosaic ceiling in the house:

Gaudi is a genius far ahead of his time. A phenomenon that defies explanation, much less imitation. Unique, incomparable, unthinkable.

But his main creation, the pinnacle of his art and the outlet of his heart was the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia). In 1906, his father died, and six years later, his niece, who was in poor health, died, his last close person. Gaudi completely closed himself off and made this temple his atoning sacrifice. Imagine, all the money that he earned as the architect of the temple, Gaudi invested in the construction itself. He worked for free for many years, not considering himself to have the right to appropriate people’s money, and the temple was built with donations from rich and poor Barcelonans.

Gaudí did not hope to complete the Sagrada Familia during his lifetime. He dreamed of finishing the East Facade of the Nativity so that his own generation could see the fruits of his efforts. By doing this, he obliged future builders to continue working. He managed to complete the chapel, the apse (the semicircular part of the building), a section of the monastery, and part of the vestibule<Розарий>and a parochial school. The three bell towers of the Nativity façade were completed after his death. He left detailed drawings, 1:10 scale models, and design sketches so that his followers would not deviate from his plan. But continuing construction turned out to be difficult: it required huge funds. It was decided to mothball it during the civil war. Several times the Temple was under threat of destruction.

The school was destroyed, Gaudi's workshop was destroyed. The controversy over whether to continue or freeze the work was a logical consequence of the authorities’ attitude towards the work of the great Catalan. The work either progressed in full swing, or was curtailed due to lack of funds. But then His Majesty the people intervened. Money continued to flow into the Temple Construction Fund. On average, construction costs three million dollars annually.

This year, Barcelona's Jews donated five million. But even with a stable influx of funds, construction is designed for at least another 65 years, although no one can name the exact date. Gaudi couldn’t name her either. When asked when the Sagrada Familia would be completed, he replied: “My customer is in no hurry.”

Now the boom of a tower crane hangs over the Temple. The interior is a huge construction site: concrete mixers, iron structures, reinforced concrete blocks, plaster decorative parts, column capitals. The most advanced technologies and materials that Gaudi did not know are used. Computer analysis confirms the accuracy of his calculations, which he checked using sandbags suspended from a model. Skeptics doubt that the Sagrada Familia will ever be completed and that Gaudi's secret plan was to make its construction eternal.

Gaudi is considered to be part of Catalan Art Nouveau. He is its brightest representative. But it does not completely fit into any architectural movement. With the same success it can be attributed to the Moorish Baroque, Neoclassicism or Neo-Gothic. But he chose to arbitrarily mix all architectural styles, creating his own eclecticism. What really sets it apart from everyone else is the connection between architecture and nature.

Gaudi died when he was hit by the first tram to be launched at the foot of Mount Tibidabo. He was almost 74 years old. He probably could have survived, but the cab drivers refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money or documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Gaudí was eventually taken to a hospital for the poor, and no one could recognize the famous architect until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to transport him to the best hospital, he refused, saying that “his place is here, among the poor.” Gaudí died on the third day, June 10, 1926. In 1926, Antonio Gaudi, the greatest architect of the 20th century, whose creations now and forever defined the appearance of Barcelona, ​​was buried in the crypt of the cathedral he had not completed.

Gaudi deifies nature. His church spiers are topped with sheaves of cereals and ears of corn, the window arches are topped with baskets of fruit, and bunches of grapes hang from the facades; drainpipes writhe in the shape of snakes and reptiles; the chimneys are twisted with snails, the grates are forged in the shape of palm leaves. But Gaudi does something that no one had dared to do before: he transfers the laws of nature to architecture. He managed to achieve the continuous fluidity of architectural forms, accessible only to living nature. He uses parabolic floors and inclined tree-like columns. There is not a single straight line in his projects, just as there is none in nature.

Catalan modernism, the impetus for which was, in particular, Antoni Gaudi, arose on the powerful crest of national resistance. Catalonia did not always belong to Spain. It became Spanish as a result of the royalist marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the one who sent Columbus on his voyage and expelled the Jews from Spain. Over the next three centuries, Catalonia gradually lost its privileges and increasingly became a Spanish province. The proud Catalans could not accept this. They strongly opposed Spanish cultural expansion. The explosion of national self-awareness affected all spheres of public life: music, literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, theater, language. Eventually, the Catalans regained their language, Catalan, and achieved autonomous governance. Barcelona has become the most beautiful city in the country.

By the way, at the dawn of his activity, Gaudí was associated with workers' trade unions. The labor movement in industrial Catalonia, especially in the textile industry, was most intense. Gaudí's first major project was the creation of a workers' town in Montaro. Subsequently, Gaudi moved away from the labor movement, became a devout Catholic and erected Christian symbols not only on cathedrals and residential buildings, but also on purely utilitarian buildings.

Among Gaudí's residential buildings, the apartment building that went down in history under the name "Casa Mila" is especially famous. This house was popularly nicknamed "Pedrera" ("Kamenyuka"), "Wasp's Nest" or, even worse, "Meat Pie".

But if, of all the modern buildings in the world, only this one remained in the world, it would personify modernity in its perfect form. This six-story undulating building wraps around the intersection of Grazia Boulevard and Provenza Street. Visitors are allowed there as if they were in a museum.

Anticipating the flow of visitors, Gaudi turned the roof into a terrace and at the same time an observation deck. He placed stables in the basement - this was a prototype of a garage. He was the first to use a ramp (lifting from floor to floor) for horses and carriages - this principle was later used in multi-story parking lots.

A few months after Gaudi's death, the young Japanese sculptor Kenji Imai visited Barcelona. He was so shocked by the Temple that he decided to create a cathedral in Nagasaki based on studying the works of Gaudí. Since then, the Japanese pilgrimage to Barcelona began.

There are a lot of tourists here from other countries :)

Gaudi's magical houses inspire many people

Based on materials from http://www.uadream.com/tourism/europe/Spain/element.php?ID=20873

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

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

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

Gaudi architecture

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

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

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

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

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

Death of Gaudi

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

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

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

Gaudi architecture in Barcelona:

Casa Batllo i Casa Novas

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

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

Architecture of Casa Batllo

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

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

Features of Casa Batllo

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

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

Casa Batllo decor

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

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

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

Visit Casa Batllo in Barcelona:

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

House Mila

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

Architecture of Casa Mila

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

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

Religious motives in Gaudi's architecture

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

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

Visit Casa Mila in Barcelona:

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

Sagrada Familia (Cathedral of the Holy Family)

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

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

Interior of Palace Güell

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

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

Visit Palace Güell in Barcelona

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

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