Barcelona: more Gaudi

Here is a picture of the Block of Discord, the one with three colorful Modernista facades that compete for our attention, on Passeig de Gracia. The first one on the right side is designed by Gaudí: Casa Batllo.

If after seeing La Sagrada Familia, Park Guel, Casa Batllo and La Pedrera, you still feel like seeing more of Gaudi’s projects, here are some ideas:

This is Casa Vicens, Gaudi’s first major project, built in Mudejar style (1883-1888). The colorful brickwork and ceramics are the defining aspects of this building.

Guell Pavilions with a very spectacular gate, representing a fierce dragon:

This dragon stands guard over the pavilions of the porter’s lodge and the stables of the large estate owned by Eusebi Guell, Gaudi’s patron.

Another gate, this time on Manuel Girona Street, with Antoni Gaudi himself.

Travel Tip: when you choose which days you want to spend in Barcelona, make sure one of them is a Sunday, the best would be the first Sunday of the month, when you can visit some museums for free. August 2nd, was the first Sunday of the month, together with Melanie, we visited three museums: Museum of Picasso, Barcelona History Museum and, in the evening, Palau Guell. Because the entrance to all three museum was free of charge, we saved more then 30 euros each.

And now some pictures from Palau Guell:

Guell Palace was the first great commission the young Gaudi received from Eusebi Guell, an industrialist, politician and patron who became the architect’s greatest client and also one of his best friends.

The building, which was built between 1886 and 1890, contains the essence of Gaudi’s architecture and is indispensable to understand his later works.

Gaudi, encouraged by an enthusiastic Guell, incoporated imaginative solutions in his design, an entirely new conception of space and the treatment of light, along with rich decorative details in wrought iron, pottery, glass, stone and wood that were highly original.