If you enjoy art and architecture and plan to visit Barcelona, visit some of Gaudi’s enchanted works. This blog will guide you from his early work to his final masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia.
Antoni Gaudí was born on 25 June 1852, in Reus. His childhood was deeply influenced by the rhythms of copper and fire, as his family were skilled coppersmiths. Gaudi grew up watching his father shape and mould metal, transforming raw materials into brilliant creations. This may have ignited a passion that would define his work. However, Gaudí also developed a fascination with plants, animals, and geology. He perceived Earth’s natural beauty such as the shining wing case of a beetle or the twisted contours of an ancient olive tree as art in its purest form.
In 1873, he embarked on a journey to the bustling city of Barcelona. There, he enrolled in the School of Architecture. He was not just any student; he was a dreamer, a man with a vision that extended beyond the conventional boundaries of architecture. His professors often caught him lost in thoughts, sketching intricate designs inspired by the natural world.
After graduating in 1879, his first noteworthy creation was the lampposts for the Plaça Reial in Barcelona. This project showcased his flair for blending functionality with artistic beauty.
Casa Vicens was another early project, a residential building that was a testament to his love for colour and intricate tilework. Designed between 1883 and 1888, it was a mosaic of Moorish, Gothic, and neoclassical elements.
It wasn’t long before his talent captured the attention of Eusebi Güell, a wealthy industrialist and rising politician with a discerning eye. Eusebi shared Gaudi’s symphony of creativity and innovation and became his patron and business partner.
Gaudi’s first commission from Eusebi was his family’s country estate, Finca Güell. Although his design included only the main gate and lodges, the detail whispers tales of his boundless imagination. The gate is impressive: a substantial mythical guardian dragon in wrought iron representing the Garden of the Hesperides.
The journey continued with Palau Güell, a magnificent mansion commissioned by his friend Eusebi. Completed in 1888, the mansion is a marvel of intricate ironwork and symmetrical arches. It features an acropolis of 20 rooftop chimneys, dominated by a central spire adorned with colourful broken ceramic tiles known as trencadís. Each tile tells a story of Antoni’s profound artistic spirit. There is speculation that this work may have inspired Picasso’s cubist period, as he lived nearby and would have seen the chimneys as a local landmark.
Gaudi’s next project, Casa Calvet, was more conventional in Barcelona’s Eixample district. Completed in 1900 for textile magnate Pere Màrtir Calvet, its Baroque-inspired facade features intricate decorations, curved gables, and a grand entrance.
Torre Bellesguard is a lesser-known work of Gaudi but is still a testament to his genius designs. Built between 1900 and 1909 and nestled at the foot of Tibidabo Mountain, the manor house blends Modernism and Gothic styles. Inspired by a medieval castle, it features turrets, crenelations, and a striking tower. Vibrant mosaics, colourful tiles, and intricate ironwork create a mesmerizing atmosphere. Stained glass windows cast a kaleidoscope of colours over the vaulted ceilings.
In the early 20th century, Gaudi worked on creating Park Güell. Initially envisioned as a garden city, the park evolved into a surrealistic public space with winding pathways, mosaic-covered benches, and a dragon fountain at the entrance.
Gaudi continued his blend of art and nature, designing the Artigas Gardens in La Pobla de Lillet, Barcelona. These enchanting gardens blend natural beauty with Gaudí’s unique architectural elements, featuring stone bridges, fountains, and pathways. Inspired by the surrounding landscape, the gardens incorporate rustic structures, colourful mosaics, and intricate ironwork.
The next creation was Casa Batlló, a striking building on Passeig de Gràcia, constructed between 1904 and 1906. Originally an apartment block from the late 1870s, Antoni Gaudí transformed it into a fantasy five-story building painted aqua, topped with a roof shaped like a dragon with shimmering scales. Colourful mosaic tiles wrap around the windows, which evoke the waves of an ocean. The window structures are adorned with designs reminiscent of skulls and bones. The underwater theme continues in the interior, where skylights resemble turtle shells, and the vaulted walls feature flowing curved shapes. A magnificent wooden staircase spirals upward, with a carved hardwood bannister resembling a colossal creature’s backbone, winding its way through seemingly impossible spaces.
Outside, each Passeig de Gracoa paving block features a starfish and an octopus, initially designed for Casa Batlló. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Spain and a testament to Antoni’s genius mind and love of nature. The design is a tribute to Sant Jordi, patron of Barcelona. It represents the dragon in the legend that Saint Jordi killed, as does the serpent on the roof. The white balconies with pierced holes are the skulls of the reptile’s victims.
The impressive Casa Batlló sparked competition among local developers, leading to Pere Milà i Camps commissioning a new building just a few streets away. This project allowed Antoni Gaudí the creative freedom to design from the ground up. Between 1906 and 1912, Gaudí developed the iconic Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera. Its stone façade resembling a wave stands as a sculptural masterpiece in the heart of Passeig de Gràcia. The building features a surreal warrior rooftop that offers breathtaking 360-degree views of Barcelona. La Pedrera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a crown jewel in Gaudí’s architectural portfolio.
Yet, the real masterpiece of Antoni’s life was the Sagrada Família. Or to give its full name, the Templo de la Sagrada Familia. It is regarded as the best-known structure in Catalunya.
From 1883 until he died in 1926, Antoni poured his soul into this towering creation. A blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau, the Sagrada Família was a sanctuary of light and colour, a testament to Antoni’s deep religious faith and unparalleled vision.
Gaudi started the project with the crypt, but the first façade was based on Christmas – a grand entrance façade (a side entrance) dedicated to the Nativity, the birth of Christ.
The Nativity Facade has three entrances and faces the rising sun, representing the dawn of the life of Jesus Christ. The façade is divided into three Porticos, one for each theological virtue: Faith, Hope and Charity.
Nature continues to inspire the design, with reptiles and amphibians like frogs, chameleons, and lizards adorning the roofline with open mouths to drain rainwater from the temple’s roof. At the foot of the columns, turtles and tortoises represent the sea and land. The temple also has many species of plants native to Catalunya. At the top of the columns stand trumpeter angels announcing that Jesus was born.
The Portico of the Faith, situated to the right of the central door, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose name is inscribed on the column between the central portico and the Portico of the Faith.
The Portico of Hope in the Sagrada Familia, dedicated to Saint Joseph, represents scenes of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity. It depicts significant moments from his life and that of the Holy Family, including his role in guiding the Catholic Church. The portico features the marriage of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary, embodying themes of hope, faith, and divine love. The intricate carvings and floral motifs highlight the spiritual journey and emphasize the importance of prayer within the Church’s design.
Saint Joseph and Mary flee Egypt to escape King Harold. The Slaughter of the Innocents captures this period. On the right, it shows a Roman soldier tearing a child from their mother’s arms. Under the soldier’s feet are babies’ bodies who have already fallen to the soldier’s sword. While this scene is sorrowful, it captures a significant historical moment where hope was survival. The edges of this entrance are shaped like a chameleon, symbolizing change. Hope reminds us that even in the darkest times, there is light. Light signifies change and promises that even the most lost souls can find hope again.
The Portico of Charity is the central façade. It comprises two doors, divided by a column bearing Jesus’ genealogy. Above the door of Jesus is a Cypress tree representing the Tree of Life, which never loses its leaves, just as you should never lose your faith. At the top of the column, you’ll find baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph accompanied by a bull and a mule, as is customary in Catalan nativity scenes.
Bringing Gaudí’s complex ideas to life in a traditional way, through flat sketches, proved inadequate. Instead, Gaudí employed natural materials such as stone, clay, and timber in his designs. He often created models from wood, paper, clay, or, even vegetables! For the figures on the Nativity façade, he used plaster casts taken from nature by chloroforming birds and animals. In the scene depicting the Slaughter of the Innocents, Gaudí employed a more controversial technique; he was granted permission by the nuns at the old Hospital de la Sant Creu to cast the corpses of stillborn babies.
Antoni Gaudí envisioned that Catalans, and eventually the Catholic world, would come together at the Sagrada Familia to perform penance for the sins of modernity. This sentiment reflected the Catholic Church’s perspective at the time, which saw itself as being under attack from atheism, doubt, and scientism. Growing liberalism was perceived as a significant threat, prompting Pope Pius IX and the Church to distance themselves from sinners and warn of eternal punishment in the afterlife. The Church sought to increase devotion to Jesus, Mary, and the Saints. With his deeply held religious beliefs, Gaudí took on the architect role to bring this vision to life.
Antonia Gaudi died before the Sagrada Família was finished. He was tragically killed by a tram as he crossed the road in June 1926. Lost in thought and going deaf, he didn’t hear the tram heading in his direction or the passer-by’s shouting to get his attention. Gaudi was 73. As witnesses saw the tragedy unfold in the street, to others, he was probably an average pensioner on his daily walk. But the world lost a maestro at that moment. Antoni Gaudi’s journey through imagination and design left an unforgettable mark on the world, a legacy of enchantment that will be celebrated for generations.
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