Gaudi architect Spain Barcelona. Antoni Gaudi and his famous houses are the hallmark of the sights of Catalonia

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

During his life he created more than 20 architectural masterpieces. Many of them are included in the list " World Heritage UNESCO", but all, without exception, are popular tourist destinations.

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

For the birthday of Antonio Gaudi, Lifeguide I have prepared for you 7 of the most famous works of this brilliant architect:

1. House of Vicens (1883-1885)

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

2. Park Guell (1900-1914)

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

3. Casa Batllo (1904 - 1906)

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

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

4. House Mila (1906-1910)

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

5. El Capriccio (1983-1885)

Rubén Hoya

El Capriccio is a summer house on the Cantabrian coast in the town of Comillas near Santander, Spain. This quaint little palace, built in the Art Nouveau style, dates back to Gaudí's early period. Multi-colored paints were chosen for the exterior decoration of the building. The base was decorated with rustic yellowish-gray stone; the façade was lined with strips of colored bricks alternating with bright majolica tiles. Relief majolica depicted graceful flowers and sunflower leaves.

6. Palace Güell (1885 - 1890)

aussiewig

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

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

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

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

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

Compared to other Barcelona attractions, Casa Batlló stands out for its original architectural designs. Before Gaudí took on the job, this residential building, built in 1877, belonged to textile magnate Josep Batlló i Casanovas. At that time, only tenants and potential residents were interested in him; he was of no other interest to people. New life and great glory were given to the Casa Batllo by Antonio Gaudi, who reconstructed the building from 1904 to 1906. Initially, the homeowner planned to demolish the old building and build a new one in its place, but the master decided otherwise and promised to transform the building beyond recognition.

The house was adjacent to neighboring buildings with two side walls, so Gaudi decided not to adjust its original structure, but to create designs for two new facades. The central façade faces Passeig de Gracia, while the rear façade faces the block. The architect carefully worked on the mezzanine and lower floor, completely redesigning and specially creating original furniture for them. In addition, he added an attic, a basement and a stepped roof terrace - an asotea.

The author included a large courtyard in the house plan, which was created by connecting two light shafts. This allowed for improved ventilation and daylighting of the building. The idea of ​​paying special attention to the light court first arose from the Catalan master during the construction of the Casa Mila.

Researchers studying the work of Antonio Gaudi argue that it was with the reconstruction of the Casa Batllo that a new round of his creative path began, and it was then that the formation of the master’s unique style began: from now on, the architect listened exclusively to his own vision of architectural solutions, without looking back at standards and frameworks famous architectural styles.

On the ground floor of Casa Batllo you can see semicircular windows that are striking in their unusual shape and stones that blur like plasticine from high temperatures. The facade of the building is decorated with mosaic compositions of broken ceramic tiles, shimmering in a wide variety of colors: from gold and orange to green and blue.

The main distinguishing feature of the building, in which the architect’s style is most clearly expressed, is the minimal use of straight lines in its design. Almost everything in it, from the interior to the decorative details of the facade, carved from hewn stone quarried on the Montjuic hill, has wavy outlines.

The symbolism of the main façade of Casa Batlló has many interpretations, but the most accurate is probably the comparison of the building with a giant figure of a dragon - Gaudí's favorite character, often found in many of his architectural works. The turret on the roof of the building, topped with a St. George's cross, can be interpreted as the sword of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia, stabbed into the dragon's back. The Triumph of St. George is an allegory of the victory of good over evil. The fantastic monster created by Gaudi is covered with sparkling “scales” and dotted with the skulls and bones of his victims, which can be seen in the shapes of the balconies and columns of the mezzanine. For such an unusual external decoration, this building was given another name - the House of Bones.

As for the direction to which Casa Batllo belongs, most often, like all other creative researches of Antoni Gaudi, it is considered in the context of modernism. Naturally, in this case, modernism should be understood in the broadest sense of this concept, since the great Catalan did not adhere to any of the then existing trends and in the creative process gave himself complete freedom, going beyond all limits and boundaries.

Gaudí's works are characterized by careful thought out of all, even the smallest, decorations and structures, and Casa Batlló was no exception. Particularly striking is the design of the light courtyard, where a special play of chiaroscuro is created. To ensure even illumination, the architect positioned the ceramic cladding so that its color gradually changes from white to blue and blue, and the intensity increases as it moves up the building, finishing on the ventilation and chimney trim in a real explosion of rich azure color. For the same purpose, windows of different sizes facing the courtyard were created, which decrease with height. The attic of the house, characterized by elegance and functionality, is organized using parabolic arches, which the Catalan architect used in his other projects.

Patio:

Together with the nearby houses of Lleo Morera and Amalle, Gaudí's architectural creation is part of the "Quarter of Discord", which received its name due to the variety of styles of its modernist buildings.

Since 1962, Casa Batlló has been named an Artistic Monument of Barcelona, ​​since 1969 - a monument of national importance, and already in 2005 UNESCO added it to its World Heritage List.

The Spanish architect Gaudi and his houses, which have become iconic in world architecture, turned the capital of Spain, Barcelona, ​​into an architectural pearl. In what style did a unique, gifted person work, who additionally combined an artist, a sculptor and a builder? What is the secret of his work? What is the fate of a genius?

Gaudi - style in the service of tradition

The founder of his own architectural style, Antonio Gaudi i Cornet

The Catalan architect, born on June 25, 1852, through his work expressed the cultural characteristics of his homeland through the fusion of architectural styles and traditions. It does not fit into any architectural movement. His work is unique and completely different from generally accepted concepts. And the power of the aesthetic experience of Gaudi’s creations only becomes greater over time.

There is not a single straight line in its structures. Architectural forms flow from one to another. He modestly built according to the laws of Nature and did not strive to surpass it.

What is the originality of Gaudi's style?

In 1878, the director of the Barcelona School of Architecture, Elies Rogent, said of Antonio at his graduation ceremony: “We have given this academic title to either a blockhead or a genius. Time will show". At first, Gaudi participated in competitions without success, studied crafts, designed fences, lanterns, and furniture.

“Nothing is invented, everything originally exists in nature. Originality is a return to the roots,” the master said about his works. The hallmark of Gaudí's style was the expression of natural forms in architecture.

Gaudi's style is

• the world of uneven surfaces such as we see in nature;
• design solutions proposed by nature;
• decorativeness that exists in nature;
• continuation of the space created by nature.

Five years after graduating from the School of Architecture in Barcelona, ​​he received his first important commission from the owner of a ceramic factory, Manuel Vicens.

Bad luck - the beginning: the house of ceramics tycoon Vicens

Casa Vicens (1883-1888) is a residential building for the owner of a ceramic factory, which is clearly reflected in the facade "trencadis" (i.e. the use of ceramic waste). Gaudi decorated the facade of the house with a mosaic of pieces of tiles, which was completely unusual in the use of building materials.

At this time, in Europe there was an interest in the neo-Gothic style with the motto “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture.” Gaudi also adhered to this rule in his works. His work at the time was reminiscent of the Moorish (or Mudejar) style of architecture, a unique blend of Muslim and Christian design in Spain.

A private house opens its doors to visitors once a year, on May 22. Everyone can appreciate the detailed design of the building, from the mosaics of the exterior to the stained glass windows and wall paintings.

Incredible luck and Gaudí's only unrequited love

In 1878, Antoni Gaudí decided to display his work at the Paris World Exhibition. His work impressed the richest man in Catalonia, esthete and philanthropist, Eusebi Güell. He provided Antonio with what every creator dreams of: complete freedom of expression with an unlimited budget!

Gaudi carries out projects for the family

• pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona;
• wine cellars in Garraf,
• chapels and crypt of the Colony Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelho);
• the fantastic Park Guella and its palace in Barcelona.

It was the best and at the same time sad period in personal life architect. The only girl who turned out to be worthy of his attention, Josepha Moreu, did not reciprocate his feelings. Having accepted his fate, Gaudi devoted himself entirely to creativity and religion.

Royal garden in Gaudi style

Gaudí's first large-scale project for his great patron, Eusebi Güell, was the pavilions of the estate. Construction took place between 1883 and 1887. The landscape design of the park of the count's summer residence, which today has become the park of the Royal Palace, the entrance gates, pavilions, and stables bear the characteristic features of the early period of creativity.

The most interesting work in the complex turned out to be the northern cast-iron gate. They are decorated with floral motifs in the style, and a medallion with the letter “G”. An impressive feature is the large wrought iron dragon with glass eyes.

This is the same Ladon who turns into the constellation Serpen for stealing golden apples. Its figure corresponds to the location of the stars in the constellation.

Palace Güell (Palau Güell) (1885-1890)

The residence of the philanthropist's family became the architect's first building in which structural elements also serve a decorative function. Antonio uses steel supporting structures as decoration.

The façade of the building features two pairs of large gates through which horse-drawn carriages and carts could proceed directly to the lower stables and cellars, while guests could climb the stairs to the upper floors.

The soul of the creator is looking for new forms. From the outside, the house has a calm façade reminiscent of a Venetian palazzo. But the interior and roof make up for the lack of Gaudí style elements on the exterior.

Living room of the Palace of Guella with a star ceiling in the style of Gaudi

In the central living room, an unusual parabolic dome is dotted with round holes that make the ceiling look starry during the day.

The silhouettes of chimneys and ventilation shafts opening onto the roof take on various fantastic shapes. The roof is reminiscent of Park Güell.

The rich interiors of the palace combine works of decorative and applied art, intarsia (wood inlay) and custom-made furniture.

The design of the walls and flat vaults of the palace is unique. In 1984, Palace Güell, along with other architectural masterpieces of Gaudí, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Expression of Gaudí's style in the architecture of Park Guella

In 1900 - 1914, Gaudí worked on creating a park residential area in the English style. To implement the concept of a garden city, fashionable in those years, Guell acquired 15 hectares of land for the construction of 62 private mansions. The project's economic failures forced his heirs to sell the park to the city. Now it houses Gaudi's house-museum.

For this site, Gaudí designed two magnificent entrance pavilions that serve as gates. A large ornamented staircase leads to the Hypostyle Hall, intended by the architect as a place for a market. The esplanade is surrounded by a long serpentine bench made of precast concrete blocks clad in ceramic mosaic.

Devoted to his principles, Gaudí used only local materials. He designed the system of streets and viaducts in such a way that their construction had minimal impact on the environment. They were maximally adapted to the landscape.

This principle makes his architecture and some researchers of his work call Gaudi's style eco-modern.

Gaudi and his houses “From the Bones” and “Quarry”

Thanks to his inimitable style, Gaudi becomes the most fashionable architect in Barcelona. It turns into “unaffordable luxury”, creating houses one more unusual than the other. The Spanish bourgeoisie spend their fortunes on the implementation of the artist's brilliant ideas.

Casa Batllo or House of Bones. Barcelona residents also call it “Yawning” and “Dragon House”, its façade is so diverse.

Gaudi's style is a reverently respectful relationship with the Creator, which was established in childhood. Rheumatism limited the boy from playing with his peers, but did not interfere with long solo walks on a donkey.

Watching the world, the architect drew inspiration to solve structural or decorative architectural problems for clients. In his work, he used elements of a wide variety of styles, transforming them into a special direction called Spanish ( modernismo).

Why did the city authorities criticize the House of Bones?

The fruit of the architect's whimsical imagination - the residential building of textile magnate Josep Batlló (Casa Batlló) - became a living, trembling creature. Gaudí reconstructed an existing building in 1904-1906, awaiting demolition. He used typical structural elements of Catalan architecture: ceramics, stone and wrought iron.

Although the work was criticized by the city, in 1906 the Barcelona City Council recognized him as one of the three best buildings of the year.

Due to the radical design, Gaudí violated all city bylaws during construction. And not because he is a “prankster”, but because the author’s style went beyond the limiting framework of traditional architecture and urban planning. Those in power had to change the laws.

Which building was Gaudí's last secular work?

Quarry house in Barcelona in Gaudi style

In 1906, another great loss occurred in the life of the architect: his father, a blacksmith and boilermaker, Francesc Gaudí i Sierra, died. According to Antonio, it was in his father’s workshop that he felt space as living matter. His father taught him to understand the beauty of the objective world and instilled in him a love of architecture and drawing.

This is not the first loss in the master’s life. Having been born as the fifth child in the family, this year he was left completely alone with his niece in his care, whom he buried 6 years later.

It was during this period that Antonio's new ideas were embodied in the house for the Mila family (casa Mila, 1906 - 1910). His innovation was as follows.

• He is thinking over a natural ventilation system, which makes it possible to avoid air conditioning.
• Constructs a building without load-bearing and supporting walls (reinforced concrete structure with load-bearing columns). This makes it possible to move the interior partitions in each apartment at your discretion. Today this technology is popular among builders of monolithic frame houses.
• Sets up an underground garage.
• Every room in the house has a window, which is also unusual for the early 20th century. For this purpose, three courtyards are provided.

The undulating facade is a harmonious mass of all kinds of stone, which, along with the wrought iron balconies, was nicknamed “the quarry” or La Pedrera by Barcelona residents.

One of Gaudi's most interesting design solutions is the attic of the house. The room, once intended for washing and drying clothes, has now become the site of a permanent exhibition of Gaudí's work and life.

This building became the first structure of the twentieth century included in the UNESCO heritage (1984). And during construction, the customer and the builders paid more than one fine for violating generally accepted standards.

Casa Mila was the last secular work before the architect devoted himself entirely to the work of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia). He no longer took on new orders, but worked on finishing current projects.

Colony Crypt of Guella

The word “colony” does not at all carry the meaning of “corrective labor.” What is this you can read at channel Zen Architecture.

The crypt, in this case, means the lower floor of the church, which Gaudí began construction in 1908 and completed in 1914, commissioned by his friend and philanthropist Eusebi Güell. The architect was tasked with providing a cultural and religious basis for the life of the town of workers employed in the industrialist's production.

Interior of the crypt of a church in the Colony of Guella. The columns are made of basalt, brick and limestone depending on the load.

Following his principles, Gaudi organically integrated the church into the landscape of the area. For the interior, he designed amazing benches made of wood and iron, reflecting his roots as a hereditary blacksmith.

More details about the masterpiece Colony Guell crypt, if interested, read on the Zen Architecture channel.

The brilliance and poverty of the architect Gaudi

A dandy in his youth, a gourmet and theatergoer who traveled in his own carriage, in adulthood began to lead an ascetic lifestyle. On June 7, 1926, he, a 73-year-old man, dressed in a shabby suit and without documents, was hit by a tram. Not knowing that this was a great architect, the victim was taken to a hospital for the poor. The next day, the chaplain (Gaudi's main creation, to which he devoted more than 40 years) found him and transported him to another hospital. But the best doctors were powerless.

You will recognize the architecture of Antonio Gaudi and his houses in Barcelona, ​​which have become a world heritage of mankind, even if you are not at all familiar with his work. They continue to build and hope to complete it by 2026.

Barcelona is the capital of Spanish Catalonia, the second largest and most populous city in Spain. Oh, Barcelona, ​​proud and stubborn Catalan beauty! If a city can be dazzling, then Barcelona is it. It is like a wonderful song about itself: passionate, tragic and indomitable, sung by the brilliant duet of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe.

The capital of Catalonia in Spain is one of the main attractions of the country.

In this spectacular city, which is picturesquely located on the shore of a cozy bay, you can spin to the sounds of temperamental flamenco and lose your sense of reality: it seems that Barcelona is about to give every tourist a charming surprise!

Barcelona is the “ideal city” of the brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi!

The sights of Barcelona are a creative flight of fancy!

Plaza Columbus, Port of Barcelona.

In the center of Barcelona is Columbus Square. The Catalans call her Gate of the world. From here it is customary to start getting acquainted with the city and its attractions. A pedestal with images from the lives of the great discoverers is crowned with a ball on which a statue of Christopher Columbus is installed. There are four bronze lions around the monument, and inside there is an elevator that takes you to a small observation deck overlooking the seaport, the harbor and Montjuïc Mountain. The monument was erected for the first World Exhibition in 1888.

Rambla in Barcelona, ​​Boqueria Market Mercat de la Boqueria.

Near the square there is the famous Ramblas- the main pedestrian artery and tourist center, which attracts its guests with its history and unique culture like a magnet. It is sometimes compared to Arbat in Moscow and called “the charm of Barcelona”.

It is surrounded by green trees, a scattering of shops, pet stores, souvenir shops, newsstands. There are many artists, “living statues” showing mini-theater performances, flowers, paintings and all kinds of souvenirs. Next to the Rambla is the main grocery store Boqueria market: the counters are filled with fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat, sausages, and seafood.

The Boqueria market is a gastronomic attraction of the tourist center.

The Gothic Quarter in Barcelona is Barrio Gotico.

Gothic Quarter It especially delights with its narrow streets and cold alleys. Its history is separated from other younger areas of Barcelona by seven centuries. Avenues of Eixample, on the contrary, create a feeling of peace and tranquility, captivating with their width and bright illumination. Diagonal Street, crossing the city center, diverges into chains of boulevards, where daytime and night life capital Cities. Boulevard "Paseo de Gracia"– a good place where the world of fashion organically combines with sights and architecture, forming the most elegant ensemble. Here, shopping lovers can find collections of affordable brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Blanco and luxury boutiques Loewe, Cucci and Chanel.

Quarter "Apple of Discord" - Manzana de la discordia.

On this boulevard of the capital of Catalonia there is Apple of Discord quarter, where the creations of the extraordinary architect Antonio Gaudi and his fellow rivals Puj i Cadafalch, Domenech i Montaner are adjacent to each other.

Architecture of Antonio Gaudi.

Gaudi, Casa Batllo, Barcelona

An integral part of Barcelona is its unique architectural style. The architect made a special contribution to its formation Antonio Gaudi. Each of his works is a work of art, thoughtful engineering solutions, and innovative decorative ideas. His most outstanding and famous works are: Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Park Güell and Sagrada Familia. Six of his ingenious creations are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

For more than 150 years we have been talking about Gaudí when we talk about Barcelona as a city of ideal style. The brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi gave the appearance of Barcelona 12 buildings that have become world landmarks. All of them are “masterpieces” of style, decorating the streets with their bright colors and unusual shapes.

Casa Batllo is the House of the Dragon with its delightful stained glass windows, its twisting back-roof: multi-colored, like a rainbow. Casa Batllo is famous for another innovative attraction - one of the first underground parking spaces in Barcelona.

Casa La Pedrera (House Mila)- a striking structure that faces the street with three facades. The shine of the house's transparent glass decorations echoes its wavy walls, reminiscent of stone surf, and its wrought-iron balconies are akin to sea foam. House La Pedrera was built for the Mila family by the architect Antonio Gaudi, inspired by his trip to Mount Montserrat: there is not a single straight line in it. The interior layout of the huge halls and the decoration of the ceilings and walls with original stucco molding is simply mesmerizing. Work on the project began in 1906 and was due to end in 1912. However, due to a conflict between the client family and the architect regarding the concept of its construction, it was stopped earlier. In 1910, Gaudí resigned as an architect. The amazing Casa La Pedrera is the last civic project of Antoni Gaudi: since then he no longer built for people, but devoted his life to working on the Sagrada Familia.

It is believed that architecture is frozen music, then the works of Antoni Gaudi are jazz!

The Mila family donated the house to the city and now it has two parts: municipal (free entrance) and paid (simple tour 20 euros). Particularly impressive is the La Pedrera Night tour, where jazz music sounds!

The main attraction of Barcelona is Park Güell.

Park Guell- one of his main creations. It was created according to a design by Antoni Gaudi in 1899. It was planned to divide 15 hectares of land into 62 zones and build 62 houses, connecting them into an unusual, spectacular architectural ensemble. Initially, the project was conceived as a quarter for wealthy people, but it was too expensive, and the end result was a beautiful park of 17 hectares, on the territory of which there are only two houses, in one of which (the pink house) Antonio Gaudi himself spent 20 years of his life. Now the pink house has been a museum since 1963, which combines garden and residential areas. The second house was bought by his friend, a lawyer by profession.

The main idea of ​​the park is the embodiment of nature in stone.

The main attraction of Park Güell is the observation deck with a fence-bench in the shape of a snake.

Park Güell is an exquisite garden city. In Park Güell, everything mixes and creates an exotic cocktail of delicious pleasure: Gingerbread houses, pavilions in the form of hills, stone palm trees, observation decks of the park in the form of intertwined tree roots, an elegant Grand Staircase with exhibits of strange animals, columns, amazing vaults of halls, caves, tunnels, sculptures, unusual fountains. All this splendor is buried in the greenery of plants.

Park Güell is the most important attraction in Barcelona.

Created by order and with the financial support of textile magnate and philanthropist Eusebio Güell, after whom the park was named, it is conveniently located in the upper part of Barcelona in the Gràcia district. Construction of Park Güell lasted from 1900 to 1914. Güell's heirs sold it to Barcelona City Hall and the park is now open to visitors. Here symbolism is combined with the myths of ancient centuries.

Park Güell is a creative triumph of the genius of world architecture, Antonio Gaudi!

In 1984 it was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. along with Casa Mila and his other famous creations.

Attractions and iconic places of Park Güell:

The central entrance to the park is decorated two fabulous “Gingerbread houses”.

• The left pavilion with a pinnacle (spire) is topped with a five-pointed cross on the roof, symbolizing “Good”. It is intended for the park administration.
• The right pavilion was built for the gatekeeper, like a gatehouse building. A toadstool mushroom, symbolizing “Evil,” was installed on its roof. Now there are souvenir shops here.

Main staircase supplemented with 4 sculptural images of symbolic fountains:

• philosopher's Stone;
• mosaic lizard Salamander is a symbol of Antoni Gaudi and Barcelona. It is located at the bottom of the stairs, where tourists like to take pictures;
• the head of a snake is a fragment from the biblical story when Moses' staff turned into the head of a snake. The middle platform is decorated with a medallion with the Catalan flag;
• The Fountain itself is a symbol of the Llobregat River, which flows in Barcelona.

The front wide staircase with fountains leads to "Hall of a Hundred Columns". Now there are 86 Doric curved columns here, but the working name remains. The Hall of a Hundred Columns has excellent acoustics, so concerts are often held here. The “Hall of a Hundred Columns” is an astrological landmark etched in stone. The vault of the hall is crowned with 4 medallions or 4 lampshades, symbolizing the seasons, and 14 smaller medallions tell about the lunar cycles.

The center of the entire park ensemble is the terrace area, where the most famous and discussed part of Park Güell is located - bench in the shape of a wriggling sea serpent with chaotically arranged patterns of ceramics and porcelain on its back. This is the longest 300-meter bench in the world, the back profile of which follows the curve of the human body. It fascinates with its colorful multi-colored mosaics made of glass, broken dishes, and tiles. Also took part in creating the decor of the bench student of Antonio Gaudi Josep-Maria Jujol. It is his collages, amazing in color and brightness, that decorate the parapet bench. From the terrace-platform with a serpentine bench you can admire the panoramic views of Park Güell and the majestic architecture of Spain for a long time.

Walking alleys, passing through columned galleries and reminiscent of birds' nests, complete this wonderful park in Barcelona.

Stone balls in Park Guell symbolize prayer beads, since Antonio Gaudi was a believer.

Park Güell opening hours: in summer from 8:00 to 21:30; in winter from 8:30 to 18:00. Entrance for tourists to Park Güell became paid from October 25, 2013 (8 Euros at the park ticket office). There are discounts for children and pensioners.

You can order tickets to Park Güell on the city hall website three months before your intended visit, indicating a specific time and date (7 Euros). Today, Park Güell is visited daily by 25 thousand tourists. The plan is to limit park visits to 800 people per hour.

In 2012, Catalonia introduced a tax on hotel stays, however, their occupancy rates have not decreased! Park Güell, having become paid, still attracts a huge army of travelers for impressions and is one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona!

Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - Sagrada Familia.

Construction of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona began in 1882 and continues to this day.

The Sagrada Familia is a temple of expiation. It is believed that while Barcelona is building it, it will atone for its sins. The temple is being built only with private donations from Barcelona residents and money received from the sale of entrance tickets for tourists and guests of the city.

In 1883, Antonio Gaudi began construction of the cathedral and completely redesigned the original design. He proposed to build the cathedral with three facades in the modernist style with neo-Gothic elements and symbolizing the meaning of light:

• The main facade is the Nativity, announcing the birth of the god Jesus Christ. It faces east;
• The facade of the Passion - the death of the Lord. It faces west;
• Facade of the Glory of the Lord - the Greatness of the Lord. Shows a person’s place in this world and all his sins. It is illuminated by the sun throughout the day.

The building will consist of 18 columns, of which 12 have already been built.

The Tower of Jesus Christ is the tallest, just below is the Virgin Mary.

The twelve towers symbolize the twelve apostles, and four more - the evangelists.

The brilliant architect managed to complete only the façade of the Nativity Church. All the figures depicted on this facade are real people of that time, posing for him. Antonio Gaudi devoted most of his life (43 years) to the Sagrada Familia. It was here, in the crypt of the cathedral that had not yet been completed, that he and buried in 1926.

Since 1950 of the 20th century, the restoration of the temple has resumed. The facade of the Passion was completed in other styles by the architect's followers. Now there is a large-scale construction of the Facade of the Glory of the Lord in the modern Avangard style. If earlier the work was carried out from sandstone stone, now glass and reinforced concrete structures are used.

In November 2010 visited Spanish Catalonia Pope Benedict XVI. Purpose of the visit - consecration of the Sagrada Familia. Services are now held here, although the work has not yet been completed. The construction of the temple is planned to be completed by 2026 and then the Facade of the Glory of the Lord will become central.

During the life of the architectural genius, no one understood either his wavy houses without sharp corners, or his bizarre sculptures and fountains, or his extraordinary serpentine benches strewn with collages of broken glass and expensive porcelain. Today, millions of tourists travel to Spain, Barcelona and Reus to admire his magical works.

It is impossible to describe Gaudi's creations in words. You need to see them with your own eyes and get a personal impression, because it is impossible to clearly determine what exactly the architect wanted to convey. Each tourist creates his own images and figures of the famous masterpieces of Barcelona. One of the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi's architecture is in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

Plaza de España in Barcelona. Mount Montjuic.

Plaza de España, Barcelona

For the World Exhibition of 1929, construction began on Hill of Montjuic. Here are concentrated such “masterpiece” sights of Barcelona as: Plaza de España, Queen Maria Cristina Avenue with singing fountain, National Palace, which is now located National Museum Catalan art. The identifying sign of the Plaza de España in Barcelona is two 47-meter high campanile towers, built by analogy with the tower in St. Mark's Square in Venice. The Albéniz Palace, Miramir Gardens, Mossena Vardagher, Labiral, Rosaleda and Font del Gat are also located on Montjuic.

Magic fountains in Barcelona - Magic Fountains Barcelona.

Separately, it is worth noting the 1929 project of the young ambitious engineer Buigas – Barcelona's singing fountain. He discovered a new facet of art - the magic of light, which was used not to dispel the twilight, but to decorate it. So, for the World Exhibition of 1929 and the general delight of tourists and city residents, he created four waterfalls and a “magic” or “singing” fountain. And at present - this is the symbol and main character of the night beauty of Barcelona!

The “singing” fountain is a mesmerizing spectacle: light, music, color and cascades of liters of water mix in an incredible dance! Scientists scientifically explain the fact that when a person is near a fountain, he experiences positive emotions, aesthetic pleasure and real delight from the fact that the splashes from the fountain emit negative ions into the air. They have a beneficial effect on our body and doctors call them “health vitamins.”

For the 1992 Summer Olympics, restoration work on the Olympic facilities was completed on Montjuic Hill, including Olympic Stadium (capacity 56 thousand spectators), which houses the Olympic Museum. The very first building is the Montjuic fortress, on the territory of which the Military Museum has been opened since 1963. One of the most visited attractions in Barcelona is the Spanish Village.

Spanish village(Poble Espanyol) is Spain in miniature, where the best structures and buildings from all over the country are collected, crafts and traditions of each of its parts are presented. This city is a museum of 116 life-size objects. This is the first such project in the World and it was implemented in 1927 by three architects: Xavier Nogues, Miquel Utrilt and Ramon Raventos. Today it is one of the most favorite places to visit among tourists and residents of Barcelona. At night, nightclubs, discos, bars, and cafes open their doors here. During the day there are exhibitions of traditional, industrial and graphic folk art, shopping shops with unique souvenirs and crafts, workshops where you can learn various crafts and create a souvenir with your own hands.

The World Exhibition of 1888, 1929 and the 1992 Olympics significantly changed the appearance of Barcelona, ​​not counting, of course, the works of Antoni Gaudi.

The Barcelona Aquarium is one of the most unique in Europe.

It is located in the Port Vell area ( Old Port). Educational and entertainment zone consists of 35 themed aquariums with a volume of water occupying more than 5 million liters. All aquariums have their own natural habitat: deep-sea fish, inhabitants of the northern seas, tropical fish, and so on. There is also a children's mini-aquarium "Miniaguaria".

Giant aquarium- the main attraction of the aquarium.

The most breathtaking sight is its 80-meter glass tunnel.

Walking through the tunnel, as if on a real seabed, you admire the sharks, stingrays and other inhabitants of the ocean swimming past. The aquarium's collection includes 450 species of fish and 11 thousand sea creatures. This living world of “wild” nature, full of funny moments, will replenish your “bank of impressions” with new gifts.

More than 50 interactive exhibits for children are on display at the special educational exhibition “Explora!”, which is dedicated to the inhabitants of the underwater kingdom.

From seaport are carried out excursions on “Swallows” - small pleasure yachts, which last from 30 minutes to 80 minutes. The price of such pleasure is in the range of 5-13 euros.

Camp Nou Stadium - Camp Nou.

Camp Nou is the most magnificent stadium in Europe, which in its own way shows the powerful position of Catalonia as a Spanish region, as well as the wayward character of its inhabitants.

Even its 120 thousand empty seats take your breath away! And going to a match and seeing how Barça players take football to a cosmic level of skill is simply an extravaganza in the life of a football fan! But Camp Nou is more than just a football arena, where Barça plays its home matches: voices are heard here and concerts of star artists of the magnitude of Julio Iglesias take place. The stadium is also an arena for significant events of the year: for example, the visit of the Pope to Spain on November 17, 1982.

The Palace of Catalan Music is one of the best in Europe for its magnificent interior decoration and excellent acoustics. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This musical palace in Barcelona hosts concerts of classical music, Spanish guitar and the famous Flamenco Shows.

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 from Gaudí, 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.

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