Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The six-storey
Casa Lleó Morera
was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and com-
pleted in 1906. It's the least extravagant of the buildings in the “Block of Discord”, and has
suffered more than the others from “improvements” wrought by subsequent owners, which
included removing the ground-floor arches and sculptures. The luxury leather goods store
Loewe occupies the whole ofthe groundfloor,while the main entrance tothe building isres-
olutely guarded to prevent more than a peek inside. This is a pity because it has a rich Art
Nouveau interior, flush with ceramics and wood, as well as exquisite stained glass, while its
semicircular jutting balconies are quite distinctive.
Museu del Perfum
Pg. de Gràcia 39 • Mon-Fri 10.30am-8pm, Sat 11am-2pm • €5 • 932 160 121,
museodelperfume.com
•
Passeig de Gràcia
Theymayhavetoturnthelightsonforyouatthe
MuseudelPerfum
,sitedatthebackofthe
Regiaperfumestore,butthere'snomissingtheexhibitsasarathercloyingpongexudesfrom
theroom.It'saprivatecollectionofmorethantenthousandperfumeandessencebottlesfrom
Egyptian times onwards, and there are some exquisite pieces displayed, including Turkish
filigree-and-crystal ware and bronze and silver Indian elephant flasks. More modern times
are represented by scents made for Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, and if
you're diligent enough to scan all the shelves you might be able to track down the perfume
bottle designed by Salvador Dalí.
Casa Amatller
Fundació Amatller, Pg. de Gràcia 41 • Guided tours €10; check website for current details; reservations essen-
tial, in person, by phone or email • 670 466 260,
amatller.org
• Passeig de Gràcia
Josep Puig i Cadafalch's striking
Casa Amatller
apartment block (c.1900) was designed for
Antoni Amatller, a Catalan chocolate manufacturer, art collector, photographer and travel-
ler. It's a triumph of decorative detail, particularly the facade, which rises in steps to a point,
studded with ceramic tiles and heraldic sculptures, while inside the hallway twisted stone
columns are interspersed with dragon lamps. The house is currently being restored as a
mod-
ernista
cultural centre, but it has kept much of its original Art Nouveau furniture and interior
design, and
guided tours
continue to operate on various days, subject to the progress of the
renovation works (the tours include a visit to Amatller's photographic studio and chocolate-
tasting in the original kitchen). Temporary exhibitions at the house are usually worth a look,
too, with some based on the collections amassed by Amatller or by his daughter Teresa, who
established the Amatller Institute of Hispanic Art here in 1941. The institute promotes re-
searchintothehistoryofHispanicart,andmaintainsaphotolibraryandarchiveinthehouse.
