Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Antoni Gaudí
A flag bearer for the late 19th-century
Modernista
movement, Antoni Gaudí
is Barcelona's most famous archi-
tect. A devout Catholic and a
strong Catalan nationalist, he
led an almost monastic
existence, consumed by his
architectural vision and living in
virtual poverty for most of his life.
In 2001, he was beatified and
there are currently moves within
the Catalan Catholic Church to
declare him a saint.
Gaudí's extraordinary legacy
dominates the architectural map
of Barcelona. His name itself comes from the Catalan
verb
gaudir
, “to enjoy”, and an enormous sense of
exuberance and playfulness pervades his work. As
was characteristic of
Modernisme
, nature prevails,
not only in the decorative motifs, but also in the very
structure of Gaudí's buildings. His highly innovative
style is also characterized by intricate wrought-iron
gates and balconies and
trencadís
tiling.
Top 10 Gaudí Sights
in Barcelona
1 Sagrada Família
2 La Pedrera (1910)
See pp20-21
3 Parc Güell (1900)
See p112
4 Casa Batlló (1905)
See p33
5 Palau Güell (1890)
See p81
6 Bellesguard (1875)
7 Finca Güell (1887)
8 Casa Calvet (1899)
9 Colegio Teresiano (1890)
0 Casa Vicens (1885)
Chimneypot,
Casa Vicens
Trencadís
Tiling
Gaudí's revolutionary use of
trencadís
tiling, a
decorative art form which consisted of smash-
ing up ceramics and piecing them back together
in mosaic patterns, is particularly prevalent at
Parc Güell. Another fine example of this
technique is the rooftop of La Pedrera where
some of the chimneys were tiled using
hundreds of broken
cava
bottles.
Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926)
Trencadís
-tiled lizard, Parc Güell
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