One cannot travel through Barcelona without being completely captivated by the incredible architecture. From the organic masonry and tile work of Parc Guell to the imaginative spirit of Casa Batillo to the shear magnitude and ornateness of La Sagrada Familia, this city is blessed with a plethora of astonishing buildings and statuary. During the turn of the twentieth century, an artistic movement was taking shape throughout Europe and the United States and it's name was Art Nouveau (popularly known in Catalan as Modernisme. From 1888 to 1906 this movement changed the world of architecture for ever. It broke from tradition and embraced the modern. It's artists played with glass, tile, iron work and brick to create over the top buildings with natural and mythical inspired themes that have lasted the test of time and are still regarded as advent gard.
A great way to see and gain an appreciation of this modernisme movement in Barcelona is to follow this self guided tour of The Eixample. The Eixample or expansion began in the 1850's when the old city became to confined for the people living there. Thus, many wealthy individuals began to commission homes to be built outside of the original town walls. These new homes were heavily restricted by building codes that were in place at the time of construction. The new homes were only allowed to be a specific height, depth and length. So new home owners utilized an ever increasingly ornate design to show off their wealth and prestige. A great starting place for this walk is Placa De Catalunya. This is the center for public transportation in Barcelona and the beginning of Passeig de Gracia. Follow this broad boulevard past cafes, upscale boutique and some amazingly ornate buildings. These building are covered with intricate design motifs and eloquent statues. Not to be missed are #35 Casa Lleo Morera, #41 Casa Amatller (which is accented in a clever amalgamation of Moorish and Gothic styles and topped with gabled roofs which are reminiscent of the Netherlands) and #43 Casa Battllo (the house of bones). Casa Battllo was designed by Antoni Gaudi, the leading innovator of the Modernisme movement. This home was designed to depict the slaying of the Dragon by Saint George, who happens to be the patron saint of Barcelona. If you look really carefully at this building, you can see Gaudi's vision. The roof is designed to be the spine of the Dragon, the windows create the beasts face and the skull shaped balconies represent the bones of its victims. The chimney is a four sided cross, this is used to represent the sword being driven into the Dragon. The most amazing thing about this innovative home is that this was created in the 1880's. No one in this era had ever seen anything like it before. Gaudi was a true innovator and simply way before his time in the architectural world.
Another half mile down Passeig De Gracia is Casa Mila. Casa Mila or "The Quarry" is another brain child of Gaudi. This time, he utilized a more organic approach to designing a home. This structure looks like it could have been molded out sand, the walls are full of curvature and the chimneys are uniquely shaped and everything is covered on a very light brown tile that is strikingly similar in color to the beaches near by. The best part about Casa Mila and Casa Batllo besides their uniqueness is the fact that you can take a guided tour and see the interior of these cutting edge homes.
From Passeig Gracia, take the Metro to see La Sagrada Familia. This is home town hero, Antoni Gaudi's crowning achievement. Started in 1883 and still in progress today, this church is the symbol of the Barcelona. The church is a mixture of natural and biblical motifs and is without a doubt the most ornate facade I have ever witnessed. Gaudi's vision was to have every scene of the bible carved into the Church's facade. The North side was completed in Gaudi's life time and best reflects his original vision of the cathedral. The South side was completed after his death and was the vision of Josep Maria Subirachs. His controversial "Passion Facade" is more cubist in nature than Gaudi's organic "Nativity Facade" but in my opinion very captivating, none the less. Make sure to set aside at least two hours for the cathedral, it is that impressive.
Finally, take either bus 24 or 92 to Parc Guell. Parc Guell was originally designed as a housing project and quickly became yet another medium for Gaudi to work his magic on. This park is a delight to visit, with it's storybook houses, it's lizard fountain and let's not forget about the world's longest park bench. All of these marvels are covered in brightly colored tile mosaics. When Gaudi had the park built, he had his workers scower the city for broken plates, dishes, and bottles to create this kaleidoscope of colors. This is a magnificent place to let the kids burn off some pent up energy or to people watch or simply to rest and absorb all of these amazing sites that Barcelona has to offer.
www.sagradafamilia.cat
www.casabatllo.cat
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