Barcelona❤️Gaudi: excursion to the last private apartment in Casa Mila. Gaudi's houses: on the map of Barcelona, ​​addresses, tickets, description and photos of Gaudi's work

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

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

Life and work of Gaudi

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

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

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

The origins of the architect's own style

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casa Batllo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can stay in Barcelona in these hotels:

1. Casa Vicens

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

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

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

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

2. Pavillons Güell

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

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

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

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

3. Palau Güell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Park Guell. Garden City (Parc Güell)

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

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

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

8. Casa Batlló

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

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

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

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

9. Casa Milà - Pedrera

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Antonio Gaudi born June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona in Catalonia (Spain). Gaudi spent his childhood by the sea. He carried the impressions of his first architectural experiments throughout his life, which is why some of his houses resemble sand castles. Due to rheumatism, the boy could not play with children and was often left alone, spending a lot of time communicating with nature. Mobility limited due to illness sharpened the future architect’s powers of observation and opened up to him the world of nature, which became the main source of inspiration in solving both artistic, design and constructive problems. Antonio loved to spend a long time watching the mountains, clouds, flowers, and snails. Gaudi's mother instilled in the boy a love of religion. She inspired him that since the Lord had left him alive, Antonio must definitely find out why.

In the seventies of the 19th century, Gaudí moved to Barcelona, ​​where, after five years of preparatory courses, he was admitted to the Higher School of Architecture, from which he graduated in 1878. It was an educational institution of a new type, in which teachers did everything to ensure that learning did not turn into a routine. At the School, students were encouraged to have the opportunity to participate in real projects, and practical experience is always very valuable to an architect. Antonio studied with pleasure and enthusiasm, sat in the library in the evenings, learned German and French in order to be able to read literature on his profile. Antonio was one of the best students, but was never loved.

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

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

During the period of early creativity, marked by the influences of the architecture of Barcelona, ​​as well as the Spanish architect Martorel, his first, richly decorated, early Art Nouveau projects were built: “stylistic twins” - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona) and the whimsical El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

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:

● abundance of ceramic finishes;

● plasticity, fluidity of forms;

● bold combinations of different style elements;

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

El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

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

The compromise pseudo-baroque dates back to the same period. House Calvet(Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the citizens during his lifetime:

Also during these years the following projects appeared:

● School at the monastery of St. Teresa (Barcelona) in a restrained Gothic, even “serf” style:

● Neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga (Castilla and Leon):

● Neo-Gothic Botines House (Leon):

However, his meeting with Eusebi Guelem . 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. Antonio carries out designs for the pavilions of 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 these works, Gaudi 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.

One day Güell conceived the idea of ​​reconstructing his summer country residence. For this purpose, he expands his holdings by acquiring several more plots. He gave the order for the reconstruction of the country house to Antonio Gaudi, instructing him to remake the park, reform the country house, erect a fence with a gate, build new pavilions at the entrance to the estate, and the architect was also instructed to build a stable with an indoor arena. Now this complex is called Park Guell .

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

Another Gaudí building for his philanthropist and friend is the manufacturer’s house in Barcelona, ​​the so-called Palace Guell :

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".

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

The clients, who were ready to spend half a fortune on construction, initially believed in the genius of the architect, who was effortlessly paving a new path in architecture. For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other. One of these houses was the house Casa Mila - space that is born and develops, expanding and moving like living matter. The house is better known as La Pedrera, which translates as the quarry. The project was commissioned by entrepreneur Pedro Mila y Camps. He needed a house whose apartments he could rent out. Gaudí planned a wavy façade. The iron structures were faced with cut stone, which was cut down nearby in the province of Barcelona:

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

Then there were sizing issues. The height of the structure was four meters higher than permitted. There was a requirement to cut down the attic. In case of failure to comply with the requirement, the owner was subject to a fine that corresponded to a fifth of the entire project. A commission was created that recognized the building as of great value and thus all this disagreement with the law was resolved.

House Mila took three years to build. While the work was going on, the rich Pere Mila became poor, since he had already paid 100 thousand pesetas for the architect’s violation of all construction standards. Therefore, towards the end, he could not stand it and said: “I won’t pay.” Gaudi replied: “Well, then finish the construction yourself.” After which they dispersed, patting their empty pockets, vilifying each other and taking the case to court. But subsequent generations can now be inspired and enjoy the beautiful architectural monument.

A similar project by Gaudi - Casa Batlló - a living, trembling creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy that has an unusual 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. Above the roof rises a tower in the form of a spear piercing the dragon's body. Casa Batllo is also known as the "House of Bones":

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

According to Gaudí, the 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 by 2030.

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

The architect spent his last years as an ascetic hermit, completely devoting all his strength and energy to creating the immortal Cathedral of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia, which became the highest embodiment of not only his unique talent, but also his devout faith. He decorated the tops of the temple towers so carefully that the angels would be pleased to look at them.

At the end of lifeAntonio Gaudi became very ill. I caught brucellosis or Maltese fever, which is still difficult to diagnose today. Doctors believe that “brucellosis is characterized by sudden changes in mood, leading to suicidal depression. Interspersed with outbursts of anger and periods of distraction, this depressed mood is accompanied by physical exhaustion, excruciating headaches and painful arthritis.” There was no cure for this disease. Perhaps this can explain why Gaudi has changed so much for the worse. He walked around in saggy jackets, and his trousers hung around his legs, which he wrapped in bandages because of the cold... And no underwear! However, he did not change his outer clothes until they turned into rags. The great architect ate what was put into his hand while walking - a piece of bread, for example. If nothing was shoved in, I didn’t eat anything. When he didn’t eat anything for a very long time, he lay down and began to die. But one of the students came, changed his clothes, fed him...

On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudi was hit by a tram and 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. Gaudi soon died from his injuries.

Watch a video presentation of Gaudi's most famous works:

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

Biography of Antonio Gaudi reveals a lot of interesting points about his life, despite the fact that all his life the genius was a rather reserved person, having practically no friends. Architecture was the main meaning of his life, an element in which he did not give concessions to anyone, often being harsh and cruel with workers. Antonio Gaudi i Cornet 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 shapes of the genius’s buildings, reminiscent of sand castles. Even as a child, Antonio suffered from pneumonia and rheumatism. Due to his illnesses, 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 of forms in his creations that were close to natural.

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

House of Vicens

The House of Vicens (Casa Vicens, 1878) was designed for diploma student and building materials manufacturer 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 equipped the building with rich ceramic decoration and so many extensions, turrets and balconies that the house looked like a fairy-tale palace. The master drew inspiration from ancient Arab architecture. Gaudi himself designed the window bars and garden fence, and also made sketches of the interior of the dining room and smoking room. This project was the first to use the experience of creating a parabolic arch. This villa can be seen on Carolines Street, unfortunately now without a garden.

His career began with very modest commissions; in addition to a street lamp for the Royal Square, he designed store windows and designed street toilets. But thanks to this, he was noticed by the wealthy industrialist Count Eusebio Güell y Bacigalupi, who became his patron and regular customer until the count’s death in 1918. Count Guell gave Gaudí complete freedom, thereby allowing him to express himself. Everything that Antonio built for Güell became a collection of masterpieces that Barcelona is so proud of.

Gaudí's first work for Count Güell was the construction of the count's estate in the district of Garraf (1884-1887). Only the gate with the forged dragon remained intact; the appearance of the mighty monster on the gate was very symbolic, since it is part of the emblem of Catalonia, and its curves follow the outlines of the Draco constellation. This was what Gaudi was all about; all his buildings and sculptures are imbued with symbolism. Next to the gate are the entrance pavilions, which formerly housed the stables, the riding 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.

Gaudí’s most unique work for the count was the building of the Barcelona residence of the Güells (1886-1891). This building is a clear reflection of Gaudí's own style. A unique combination of materials and multi-colors creates fantastic images. The roof of this building is covered with decorative chimneys and ventilation pipes of unimaginable types, none of which are repeated. Gaudi did not forget about the practicality of his buildings; thanks to the huge arches, it was easy for 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 during the day, raising your head, it seemed as if you were looking at the starry sky. Everything in this building was designed by Gaudí, the balcony railings, the furniture, the stucco on the ceilings, the columns (forty different shapes).

The architect's main dream was to build churches; he was a deeply religious man. He was approached by the Catholic Church to complete the building of the College of the Sisters of the Order of St. Teresa, which had been abandoned by another architect. The order's funds were very meager, since the order took a vow of poverty. But Gaudi was able to give this building a sophisticated, sophisticated style, decorating it not luxuriously, but modestly: with the coats of arms 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 complete, since the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, whose permission was required for the implementation of this project, hounded the architect with amendments, and he quit the job because defended every stroke on his drawings. The palace was completed by a different architect, but retained the general appearance of Gaudi, reminiscent of medieval castles with its turrets and buttresses.

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

In addition to the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona is home to 13 major buildings by Antoni Gaudí, which give the city a unique flavor and give an idea of ​​the style of the brilliant creator. These include Casa 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), Casa Batllo (the wavy, scaly roof of which resembles a giant snake), Porta Mirales (a rounded wall , covered with tiles made of tortoiseshell), 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 Güell country estate, the Bellesguard 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 become “fashionable” among wealthy citizens, he did not go out of it until the end of his life.

Architect Antonio Gaudi died when hit by a tram on June 7, 1926. There is widespread information that on this day the first tram was launched in Barcelona and that it was supposedly that the architect was crushed by it, but this is just a legend. Gaudi was an unkempt old man and was mistaken for a homeless man. He died three days later on June 10, in a homeless shelter, but he was identified quite by chance 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 Temple of the Holy Family, where you can see his grave and death mask.

By decision of UNESCO, Park Güell, Palace Güell and Casa Mila were declared heritage of humanity.

about the great Antonio Gaudi<<

Innovation and classics have never been able to coexist peacefully. Everything new, unlike the traditional, has always been perceived as charlatanism or a perversion of the truth. The 20th century saw many innovators, among whom was Antonio Gaudi; the architect and his houses forced his contemporaries to embrace the art of constructing residential and non-residential premises.

Doomed to loneliness

Antonio Gaudi was born in 1852 in a small Catalan town in the family of a boilermaker and was the fifth and youngest child. However, the future architect was destined to be left alone too early. Two of his brothers died in infancy. Gaudí then lost his third brother, sister and mother. The head of the family, together with his son and granddaughter, who remained after the death of his daughter, moved to Barcelona. Soon the old master died. Following him, his sickly granddaughter also died. Antonio lost all his relatives.

After five years of preparatory courses, Gaudí entered the Provincial School of Architecture. The brilliant architect began working even before he received his education. His activities were limited to performing minor work: designing fences, small buildings, etc. Participation in numerous competitions was not crowned with success. A meeting with textile magnate Eusebi Güell decided the fate of a talented young man. Güell was one of the richest men in Catalonia. He could afford to make any of his dreams come true. At the same time, Gaudi got the opportunity to work and earn money.

Having designed several buildings for the tycoon’s family, the most grandiose of which was the palace, the nameless master overnight became one of the most popular architects in Barcelona. Many wealthy Catalan families dreamed of living in a house designed by Gaudí; the architect and his fantastic houses began to become fashionable. The master's innovation was recognized and approved.

Gaudi was forced to devote all his time to his profession not only by his love for original architecture, but also by loneliness. As a child, little Antonio suffered from rheumatism, which caused him to refuse to play with his peers. The death of close relatives again left Gaudi alone with himself. The master never found personal happiness. The only woman he was in love with did not reciprocate his feelings. Gaudi had practically no friends. He was known as an unfriendly and cruel person.

The architect died in 1926, 3 days after he was hit by a tram. The master was buried in the crypt of the temple he had not completed.

Barcelona's calling card

Among the most memorable sights of Barcelona, ​​every tourist will certainly name the architecture of Gaudi, because the innovative architect and his houses created an unusual and very attractive atmosphere in the city.

The architecture of the 20th century is characterized by simplicity and conciseness. Complex geometry and abundance of decorations gave way to simple forms. Simplicity was supposed to symbolize progress and a departure from the remnants of the past. However, Gaudi decided to go his own way. His work was influenced by the neo-Gothic style that was coming into fashion and childhood impressions associated with the sea and sand castles that little Antonio once built. Gaudí never set himself the goal of becoming an innovator, of inventing something impressive that would capture the imagination of the public. He believed that only nature can be called the best creator, which means that all architectural elements must be taken from it. The master avoided straight lines and did not like walls or regular geometric shapes.