Innovation and classics have never been able to coexist peacefully. Everything new, unlike the traditional, has always been perceived as charlatanism or a perversion of the truth. The twentieth century saw many innovators, among whom was Antonio Gaudi, the architect and his houses forced his contemporaries to the art of building residential and non-residential premises.

Doomed to loneliness

Antonio Gaudi was born in 1852 in a small Catalan town in the family of a boiler master and was the fifth and youngest child. However, the future architect was destined to be alone too early. Two of his brothers died in infancy. Gaudí then lost his third brother, sister and mother. The head of the family, together with his son and granddaughter, who remained after the death of his daughter, moved to Barcelona. Soon the old master died. Following him, his sickly granddaughter also died. Antonio lost all relatives.

After five years of preparatory courses, Gaudí entered the Provincial School of Architecture. The brilliant architect began to work even before he received his education. His activities were limited to the implementation of small works: the design of fences, small buildings, etc. Participation in numerous competitions was not successful. The meeting with the textile magnate Eusebi Güell decided the fate of the talented young man. Guell was one of the richest people Catalonia. He could afford to realize any of his dreams. At the same time, Gaudi got the opportunity to work and earn.

Having designed several buildings for the magnate's family, the most grandiose of which was the palace, the nameless master overnight turned into one of the most popular architects in Barcelona. Many wealthy Catalan families dreamed of living in a house designed by Gaudi, the architect and his fantastic houses began to come into fashion. The innovation of the master was recognized and approved.

Devoting all his time to Gaudi's profession was forced not only by love for the original architecture, but also by loneliness. As a child, little Antonio suffered from rheumatism, which caused him to refuse to play with his peers. The death of close relatives left Gaudi alone again. The master never found personal happiness. The only woman he was in love with did not reciprocate. Gaudi had practically no friends. He was known as an unfriendly and cruel person.

The architect died in 1926, 3 days after he was hit by a tram. The master was buried in the crypt of the unfinished temple.

Visiting card of Barcelona

Among the most memorable sights of Barcelona, ​​every tourist will certainly name the architecture of Gaudi, because the innovative architect and his houses created an unusual and very attractive atmosphere in the city.

The architecture of the twentieth century is characterized by simplicity and conciseness. Complex geometry and an abundance of decorations have given way to uncomplicated forms. Simplicity was supposed to symbolize progress and a departure from the remnants of the past. However, Gaudí decided to go his own way. His work was influenced by the neo-Gothic style that came into fashion and childhood impressions associated with the sea and sand castles that little Antonio once built. Gaudí never set himself the goal of becoming an innovator, inventing something impressive, striking the imagination of the public. He believed that only nature can be called the best creator, which means that all architectural elements must be taken from her. The master avoided straight lines, did not like walls and regular geometric shapes.

Gaudi is an outstanding Catalan architect who created many famous buildings in Barcelona. World history knows not so many architects who have so strongly influenced the views of their cities and created something so significant for their national culture. Gaudí is the most famous architect in Spain. His work marked the peak of Spanish Art Nouveau. A feature of his style is that the sources of the architect's fantasies were natural forms (trees, clouds, animals, rocks). It was nature that primarily determined the work of the sculptor and architect Gaudí in solving various problems, both artistic and constructive.

The architect did not like closed spaces, as well as geometrically correct forms. Therefore, he fundamentally refused straight lines. He believed that a straight line is a product of man, while a circle is a product of God. Therefore, Antonio Gaudi used only curved surfaces, creating his own original style. The architect Gaudi and his houses are known far beyond the borders of Catalonia and Spain.

Life and work of Gaudí

The architect was born on June 25, 1852, not far from Barcelona. His family belonged to the dynasty of hereditary masons. In 1868 he moved to Barcelona and there in 1873-78. studied at the Higher Technical School of Architecture, and also mastered various crafts (blacksmithing, carpentry, etc.) in the workshop of E. Punti.

In 1870-82. was engaged in the implementation of applied orders (sketches of lanterns, fences, etc.) in the workshop of F. Villar and E. Sala. His first building, which can be considered independent (the fountain in Catalan Square in 1877), demonstrated the brightness and quirkiness of Gaudí's imagination.

Antonio Gaudi tragically died on 06/07/1926 in Barcelona. He was hit by a tram not far from the Sagrada Familia. The architect at the end of his life behaved strangely, walked in an untidy form, so he was brought to a hospital for the poor, in which he died. Buried in the Sagrada Familia.

The origins of the architect's own style

In Western Europe at that time neo-Gothic reigned. In his youth, Gaudi adhered to the ideas of such Neo-Gothic representatives as the French architect Viollet-le-Ducas (the largest restorer of Gothic temples in the 19th century, who restored, in particular, the Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris) and the English art historian John Ruskin, author of the article “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture”, which completely coincided with the thoughts of Gaudi himself and for many years was the code of his work. However, he was most influenced by Catalan Gothic, in which in an interesting way combined European and Moorish motifs. It is this combination that permeates the architecture of Antonio Gaudi.

This building was built in 1880-83. During its construction, the architect applied the polychrome effects characteristic of ceramic cladding. The buildings of Gaudí, built in his "mature" period, are distinguished by the use of this technique. This house by Gaudi was built for the owner of the ceramics factory, M. Vicens, and looked like a fairy-tale palace. In an effort to realize the desire of the building’s customer, the industrialist Vicens, to see the “kingdom of ceramics” in this house, the architect used iridescent multicolored majolica tiles to cover the walls, decorated the ceilings with stucco “stalactites”, and installed fancy gazebos and lanterns in the courtyard.

The residential building itself and the buildings in the garden made up a wonderful architectural ensemble, for the creation of which Gaudí first tested his subsequently crowning techniques: ceramic decoration in large quantities, plastic flowing forms, bold combinations of elements of different styles, contrasts of dark and light, vertical and horizontal elements. etc.

In 1891, the architect received an order for a new cathedral in Barcelona - a temple (that is, the temple of the "Holy Family"). This building was the maximum manifestation of his imagination. Realizing the great importance of this structure as a symbol of the entire national revival of Catalonia, Gaudí completely concentrated on its construction from 1910, placing his own workshop here.

The style of the cathedral is similar to Gothic, but contains something new, more modern. This building can accommodate a choir with 1,500 singers, 5 organs, and a children's choir of 700 people. The cathedral was to become a major center of Catholicism. Its construction was supported by the then Pope Leon the 13th.

Although Gaudi was engaged in the construction of this temple for 35 years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity facade, which in a constructive sense represents the eastern part of the transept, with 4 towers above it, while the western part of the apse, which makes up most of the entire monumental cathedral , remains unfinished to this day. The construction of the Sagrada Familia continues to this day.

Casa Batlló

This is one of Gaudí's most famous buildings, built in 1904-06. and became the fruit of his original fantasy, which had a purely literary origin. The house is the epitome of the story of St. George slaying the dragon. The 2 lower floors resemble the skeleton of a dragon, the wall - dragon skin, the roof with a peculiar pattern - a dragon spine. On the roof there is a small tower and chimneys, which have various intricate shapes. They are finished with ceramics and combined into several groups.

The project masterfully used color harmony and plasticity of the material. The sculptural decoration of the building looks like it consists of living forms that are frozen for only a moment. The completion of this decor is the design of the roof, which resembles a dragon's back.

Among the architectural masterpieces of Gaudi is (1906-10) - the famous Art Nouveau building, which was nicknamed "La Pedrera" (i.e. "quarry") because of its quirkiness. It is a 6-storey apartment building located on the corner, with 2 courtyards and 6 light wells.

The whole building as a whole and each individual apartment in it have a curvilinear complex layout. Initially, the architect tried to make each internal partition curved, but later he had to abandon this idea and give them a broken shape that creates a contrast with the wavy facade. For Casa Mila, new solutions were used in terms of construction: the absence of load-bearing internal walls, the support of interfloor ceilings by external walls and columns, the important structural significance of balconies.

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

During his life he created more than 20 masterpieces of architecture. Many of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, but without exception, they are popular tourist destinations.

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

To the birthday of Antonio Gaudi, life guide prepared for you the 7 most famous works of this brilliant architect:

1. House of Vicens (1883-1885)

This house in Barcelona was the first independent construction of Gaudí. Casa Vicens is a colorful mix of different architectural styles, the most striking and recognizable of which is the Moorish style "mudeha". Structural forms and ornamental solutions reflected Gaudi's taste for oriental art, primarily Moorish, Persian and Byzantine.

2. Park Güell (1900-1914)


Fairy-tale houses, a bench in the form of a snake, fountains, sculptures - this is all the famous Park Güell. With 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 urban planning concept of the garden city that was fashionable at that time in England.

3. Casa Batlló (1904 - 1906)

Casa Batlló, or as it is also called the House of Bones, was built in 1877. And if not for Antonio Gaudi, who was given the order to reconstruct the building, he would have remained an ordinary house. The most remarkable feature of Casa Batlló 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 design of the interior.

Everything decorative elements houses made by the best craftsmen applied arts. The forged elements were created by the Badia brothers, the stained-glass windows were created by the glass blower Josep Pelegri, the tiles were created by P. Pujol i Bausis son, other ceramic details were made by Sebastian i Ribo.

4. House of Mila (1906-1910)

The design of this Gaudi building was innovative for its time: a well-thought-out natural ventilation system allows you to abandon air conditioners, interior partitions in each of the apartments in the house can be moved at your discretion, there is an underground garage. The three patios (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)

Ruben Hoya

El Capriccio is a summer mansion on the Cantabrian coast in the town of Comillas near the city of Santander, Spain. The 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 plinth was decorated with yellowish-gray rustic stone; the facade was laid out with stripes of colored bricks, alternating with bright majolica tiles. Relief majolica depicted graceful flowers and sunflower leaves.

6. Palace Güell (1885 - 1890)

aussiewig

Palau Güell is an urban residential building in Barcelona, ​​built by order of an admirer of Gaudí's talent, the Catalan industrialist Eusebi Güell. In this building, the Catalan architect combined the traditional rectangular structure of medieval palaces and coffered ceilings with such innovations as, for example, the parabolic arch, 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)

This is the most famous long-term construction in Spain - the temple has been built for over 130 years! In accordance with Gaudí's project, the building was to be crowned with many monumental towers soaring upwards, and all elements of the scenery were to receive a deep symbolic meaning associated with the gospel or church rites. Realizing that during his lifetime the work on the temple would not be completed, Gaudí also planned many of the interior details.

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

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


Nowadays, few people have not heard of the architect and the Sagrada Familia, his most famous work. The Catalans idolize Gaudi, because it was thanks to him that Barcelona acquired its own unique style.

Biography of Antonio Gaudí reveals the mass interesting moments 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, the element in which he gave no concessions to anyone, often being tough and cruel with workers. Antonio Gaudí i Cornet was 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 forms of the buildings of a genius, reminiscent of sand castles. As a child, Antonio suffered pneumonia and rheumatism. Due to diseases, 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 in his creations of forms close to natural.

Since 1868, Gaudí moved to Barcelona, ​​where he took architectural courses. One of the teachers called him either a genius or crazy for his non-standard projects. Gaudi never used drawings and computers, in his work he was guided only by intuition, making all the calculations in his mind. It cannot be said that the architect was in search of his own style, he just saw the world like that, creating masterpieces of architecture. Here you can point out the fact that Antonio's ancestors, up to great-grandfathers, were boilermakers, the most complex products were made "by eye", without drawings. This, apparently, was their family feature. In 1878, he was finally noticed and received his first commission, designing a Barcelona street lamp. The project was fully implemented the following year.

House of Vicens

Vicens House (Casa Vicens, 1878) was designed for the diploma student and manufacturer of building materials 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 provided the building with rich ceramic decoration and so many outbuildings, 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 the garden fence, as well as sketched the interior of the dining room and smoking room. In this project, for the first time, the experience of creating a parabolic arch was used. This villa can be seen on Carolines Street, unfortunately now devoid of a garden.

His career began with very modest orders, in addition to a street lamp for the Royal Square, he was engaged in the design of shop windows, designed street toilets. But thanks to this, he was noticed by the wealthy industrialist Count Eusebio Güell y Basigalupi, who became his patron and regular customer until the count's death in 1918. Count Güell gave Gaudi complete freedom, thus allowing him to express himself. Everything that Antonio built for Güell has become a collection of masterpieces that Barcelona is so proud of.

Gaudí's first job for Count Güell was the construction of the count's estate in the district of Garraf (1884-1887). Only the gate with a forged dragon survived, the appearance of a mighty monster on the gate was very symbolic, since it is part of the emblem of Catalonia, and its curves repeat the outlines of the constellation Draco. This was the whole Gaudi, all his buildings and sculptures are permeated with symbolism. Next to the gates are the entrance pavilions, which used to house the stable, the 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.

The most unique work of Gaudí for the count was the building of the Barcelona residence of Güell - (1886-1891). This building is a vivid display of Gaudí's own style. The unique combination of materials and multicolor creates fantastic looks. The roof of this building is lined with decorative chimneys and ventilation pipes of unimaginable types, none of which is repeated. Gaudi did not forget about the practicality of his buildings, thanks to the huge arches it was easy for the 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 in the daytime, raising your head, it seemed that you were looking at the starry sky. Everything in this building is designed by Gaudí, balcony railings, furniture, moldings on the ceilings, columns (forty different shapes).

The main dream of the architect was the construction of churches, he was a deeply religious person. He was approached by the Catholic Church to complete the building of the College of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Teresa, which had been abandoned by another architect. The funds of the order were very meager, since the order had taken a vow of poverty. But Gaudi was able to give this building a refined, refined style, decorating it not luxuriously, but modestly: with the emblems of the order, turrets with crosses and arches.

Another order of the church was episcopal palace in Astorga (1887-1893), which he never managed to finish, since the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, whose permission was required for the implementation of this project, harassed the architect with amendments, and he quit work, as he defended every stroke on his drawings. The palace was completed by another architect, but retained from Gaudí the overall appearance, reminiscent of medieval castles with its turrets and buttresses.

However, most certainly famous work the master remains the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia), made in an atypical style for temple architecture. erection of the cathedral architect Antonio Gaudi devoted a lot of time and energy, starting it in 1883, however, the building was never completed due to the death of Antonio Gaudí. After the genius died, the Sagrada Familia project remained unfinished, since Antonio did not like to draw, after him there were no author's drawings. The forms and symbolism of the cathedral are so complex, and Gaudi's method of work is so unique that all subsequent attempts to continue the construction looked too uncertain.

In addition to the Sagrada Familia, there are 13 major buildings of Antonio Gaudi in Barcelona, ​​giving the city a unique touch and allowing you to create an idea of ​​the style of the genius creator. These include the House of 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), the House of Batllo (whose wavy, scaly roof resembles a giant snake), the Mirales Gate (a rounded wall , covered with tortoise shell tiles), 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 Guell country estate, the Bellesgvard 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 entered “fashion” among rich citizens, he did not go out of it until the end of his life.

Architect Antonio Gaudi died when he was hit by a tram on June 7, 1926. There is widespread information that on this day the first tram was launched in Barcelona and allegedly it was the architect who crushed the architect, but this is just a legend. Gaudí was a neglected old man and was mistaken for a homeless man. He died three days later on June 10, in a homeless shelter, but was accidentally identified 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 Sagrada Familia, where you can see his grave and death mask.

By decision of UNESCO, Park Güell, the Güell Palace and the House of Mila were declared heritage of mankind.

about the great Antoni Gaudí<<


Many tourists travel to Barcelona to admire the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí. But you don't have to fly to the Catalan capital. All his legacy...
The personality of Antonio Gaudi is enigmatic and mysterious. The second person who, in my opinion, has a similar aura is not even a real person, but a character in the novel by Francis Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby. And with what ease the hero of the novel enchanted his audience with soirees, with the same ease Gaudí's works capture our heart, soul and memory.
What is his genius?
Perhaps the answer lies on the surface. He is around us. Gaudi deified nature and drew inspiration from it. He was the first to decide to transfer the laws of nature to architecture.
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Its church spiers top with sheaves of cereals and ears of corn, the arches of the windows are crowned with baskets of fruit, and bunches of grapes hang from the façades; drainpipes meander in the form of snakes and reptiles; chimneys are twisted with snails, and fence grates are forged in the form of palm leaves.
Everything ingenious is simple!

During his life, Antonio Gaudí created more than 20 architectural masterpieces, 10 of which are located directly in Barcelona.

I invite you to take a fascinating walk through the streets of Barcelona and get acquainted with the masterpieces of Gaudí's architecture, which have no analogues to this day.

And you can stay in Barcelona in these hotels:

1. House Vicens (Casa Vicens)

The House of Vicens was Gaudí's first significant work. It was built between 1883 and 1888 by order of the owner of the ceramic tile factory, Manuel Vicens Muntaner.

For the first time inspecting the site of the future construction, Gaudi discovered a giant flowering palm tree, surrounded by a carpet of yellow flowers - marigolds. All these motifs Gaudi later included in the design of the house: palm leaves found their place on the fence, and marigolds became the pattern of ceramic tiles.

Gaudí developed the design of the entire building, starting with the meticulous finishing of the exterior, and ending with the decorative solutions of the interior, up to the painting of the walls and stained-glass windows.

Since the house is a private property, it is closed to the public. However, one day a year, May 22, the owners of the house open its doors to guests.

2. Pavilions of the Guell estate (Pavellons Güell)

It was on this project that two great men met who for many years to come determined the image of Barcelona: the architect Antonio Gaudí and Count Eusebi Güell. By order of Güell, Antonio had to reconstruct the patron's summer country residence: remake the park and erect a gate with a fence, build new pavilions and design stables with an indoor arena. And in order to show a single idea for the entire project, the architect made all the buildings in the same style, using the same building material and a pattern resembling dragon scales.

It was during the construction of the Guell pavilions that Gaudi first used the trencadis technique - facing the surface with irregularly shaped pieces of ceramic or glass. Later, we will meet this technology in the design of benches in the Park Güell and many other works of the architect.

Unfortunately, today only the entrance group with a gate decorated with a dragon has survived from the building. As conceived by Gaudi, the dragon guarded the garden with golden apples, giving eternal youth and immortality.

When the gate was opened, the head and paws of the dragon moved, frightening and surprising guests and passers-by. Today, you can approach the Dragon without fear - it will remain motionless and freely let you into the estate.

3. Palau Güell

The next large-scale project created by Antonio Gaudi for Güell is a residential building, or rather, a palace. This magnificent Venetian "palazzo" is squeezed into a small space of 22 by 18 meters.

It is impossible to fully appreciate the appearance of the entire Palau Güell from any point, because Carrer Nou de la Rambla is very densely built up. To surprise viewers who are at a great distance from the building, Gaudí designed unusual chimney towers.

Gaudi believed that one single architectural element cannot be a worthy decoration of the roof. Therefore, in the castle, the roof is designed according to the "scenographic" principle. Each chimney is made in the form of a whimsical turret, turning the roof into a magical garden. Gaudi uses this favorite technique in many of his future projects.

At the entrance, between the two forged gates of the palace, Gaudi placed the coat of arms of Catalonia, and engraved the initials of Eusebi Güell - "E" and "G" on the gates themselves.

4. College of the Order of Saint Teresa (Collegi de las Teresianes)

"Collegi de las Teresianes" - a school at the monastery of St. Teresa - also became one of the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí. The college building was built between 1888 and 1890 by order of Enric d'Usso, the priest who founded the Theresian Order.

Initially, the development of the plan was entrusted to the architect Juan B. Ponsom. He worked on the project for a whole year, and even managed to build the building up to the second floor, when the construction was entrusted to Gaudi. The young brilliant architect managed to make significant changes to the initial design and complete the construction in less than a year.

For Gaudi, this was an unusual project. Firstly, he had to work on a limited budget, so ordinary brick and imitation stone were used in the construction. And secondly, his fantasy was “framed”. Antonio first coordinated all his architectural and decorative ideas with the priest, and only after that he could bring them to life. Not surprisingly, most of the plans were rejected.

The architect nevertheless decorated the school as much as possible. To do this, he used numerous neat arches and decorative elements on the battlements of the building, which look like professorial caps.

5. House Calvet (Casa Calvet)
Another masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona at first glance seems ordinary and unremarkable, but it’s worth taking a closer look…

Gaudí's Calvet House was built by order of the widow of the late industrialist Pere Calvet, in accordance with all the criteria for a "profitable" house. Shops were located on the first floor, the hostess herself lived on the second floor, and the remaining levels were given to tenants.

It's a paradox, but the most "ordinary" creation of Antonio Gaudi immediately after construction, in 1900, was recognized as the best building in Barcelona. For many, this came as a surprise, since by this time Antonio had completed several projects that looked more refined and sophisticated. However, the authorities of the capital of Catalonia, it was this creation that seemed the most worthy.

In the design of the facade, Gaudi thought through every little thing. So, honeycombs suggested the shape of the peephole to the architect. When creating it, the genius dipped his fingers into the clay mass several times, and then filled the resulting shape with metal.

And the knockers on the front doors hit the image of the bed bug. Perhaps, according to the ancient Catalan custom, the killing of this insect brought good luck and prosperity to the house. Or maybe Antoni Gaudí just didn't like pests.

Today, the Kalvet house is still used for its intended purpose: the basement is reserved for warehouses, the first floor is occupied by an office, and residential apartments are located on the remaining floors.

6. Figueres House on Bellesguard Street, Barcelona (Casa Figueras)

At the beginning of the 15th century, King Marty the Humane built a magnificent palace on the slope of Mount Tibidabo, which he called Bellesguard - translated from Catalan "beautiful view". Five centuries later, in 1900, a completely different, more modest Neo-Gothic palace by architect Antonio Gaudí arose on the same site. Subsequently, he received the name of the House of Figueres.

The house turned out in a rather bizarre style. The structure seems to be directed upwards, although the structure itself is far from being high. Gaudi achieved a similar effect by using a sharp spire in the construction, as well as by deliberately overestimating each part of the house. The height of the basement was 3 meters, the first floor - 5 meters, mezzanine - 6 meters. The total height of the house reaches 33 meters and it looks completely completed in the vertical direction.

In the course of construction work, Gaudí displaced the medieval road somewhat and placed it on vaults with inclined columns. He also uses this technique in Park Güell.

Until 2013, the house of Figueres was closed to the public, but since the owners needed funds for reconstruction, they decided to open it to tourists.

Slowly, we are approaching the most interesting. These are the well-known and popular sights of Antoni Gaudi's hands in Barcelona, ​​and the first of them is Park Güell.

7. Park Guell. Garden City (Parc Güell)

Probably, each of us at least once saw Gaudi's gingerbread houses - one of the symbols of the capital of Catalonia, which is found on postcards, magnets and other souvenirs. You and I can find them at the entrance to Park Güell, or sometimes it is called "Gaudi Park".

Once upon a time, this popular park in Barcelona began its development as a commercial project. After a trip to England, Güell was impressed by the park areas and set about creating something similar in Barcelona. To do this, he purchased a large plot on a hill and asked Antoni Gaudí to take over the project. According to Güell's idea, the park was to become a residential community for the Catalan elite. But the inhabitants of the city did not support his efforts. As a result, only 3 exhibition copies were built from residential buildings, in which the authors of the project themselves - Güell and Gaudi, as well as their lawyer friend, settled. Later, the Barcelona City Council bought the property from the heirs of the patron and transformed it into a city park, and opened a municipal school and a museum in two houses. The lawyer's house still belongs to his family.

The architect did a great job. He designed all the necessary communication systems, planned the streets and squares, built viaducts, ramparts, entrance pavilions and a staircase that leads to the 100 Columns Hall. On the roof of the hall there is a large square, surrounded by a bright curved bench around the perimeter.

8. Casa Batlló

"House of Bones", "Dragon House", "Yawning House" are all names by which Casa Batllo in Barcelona is known.
This attraction is located in the very center of Barcelona, ​​and with all your desire you will not be able to pass by without noticing it. A humpbacked roof that looks like a dragon's spine, a mosaic facade that changes color depending on the lighting, balconies that resemble the faces of big-eyed flies or skulls - all this makes an indelible impression.

Antonio Gaudí received an order for the reconstruction of the house from a textile magnate who planned to completely demolish the old building. Keeping the original structure of the house, the architect designed two new facades. The main one overlooks Passeig de Gracia, the back one goes inside the block.

To improve the lighting and ventilation of the building, Gaudi combined the light shafts into a single courtyard. Here the architect created a special play of chiaroscuro: in order to achieve uniform illumination, Gaudí gradually changes the color of the ceramic cladding from white to blue and blue.

Part of the façade is covered by a mosaic of broken ceramic tiles that starts in golden hues, continues in orange, and ends in blue-green.

9. House Mila - Pedrera (Casa Milà)

Casa Mila is Antonio Gaudí's latest secular project. After its construction, the architect devoted himself entirely to the main masterpiece of his life - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
Initially, the people of Barcelona did not accept Gaudí's new creation. Mila's house was nicknamed "Pedrera" which means "stone quarry" for its uneven and ponderous appearance. Builders and owners of the house were even fined several times for non-compliance with generally accepted standards. But soon the passions subsided, they quickly got used to the house and began to treat it as another creation of a genius.

When building Pedrera, Antoni Gaudí used technology that was far ahead of its time. Instead of the classic supporting and load-bearing walls, it used an irregularly shaped steel frame reinforced with arches and columns. Thanks to this, it was possible to give the facade of the house an unusual floating shape, and the layout of the apartments, at the request of the owner of the house, could change at any time. This technology is also very popular among modern builders who use it in the construction of monolithic-frame houses. But more than a century has passed!

But the architect's talent was fully revealed on the roof of Mila's house. Here, Gaudi created a special, fairy-tale world, decorating chimneys and elevator shafts with unusual sculptures.

Despite its cultural value, Mila's house is still residential today. Only the exhibition hall with the works of Antonio Gaudi, an apartment reflecting the life of that time, and the roof of the building are open for inspection.

10. Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família)

Sagrada Familia is the main masterpiece of Antonio Gaudi, the project of his whole life, to which he dedicated 43 years. The construction of the cathedral began in 1882 under the direction of the architect Francesco del Villar. But a year later, young Gaudi was appointed in his place. According to his idea, the height of the cathedral should be only one meter lower than the highest mountain in Barcelona - 170 meters. With this, the architect wanted to show that what was created by human hands cannot be higher than what God created.

The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia, like many other creations of Gaudí, is designed in the spirit of the philosophy of unity with nature. The building should be crowned with 18 towers - this is a symbol of the apostles, evangelists and Jesus Christ.

The facades of the cathedral are already decorated with sculptures depicting not only biblical characters, but also animals, grapes and various symbols reflecting facts from the life of saints.

It is noteworthy that the animal figures were created by Gaudí himself. He put his "models" to sleep and created their exact sculptures.

The interior of the cathedral is also thought out to the smallest detail. Gaudi assumed that from the inside the cathedral would resemble a forest, with stars visible through the branches of trees. As a reflection of this idea, multifaceted columns appeared in the cathedral, supporting the high vaults of the temple.

Closer to the vaults, the columns change their shape and branch out like trees. The stars in this grandiose project were window openings located at different heights.

The death of Antonio Gaudi was as extraordinary as his whole life, as well as his work. On June 7, 1926, at the age of 73, he was hit by a tram. The architect lost consciousness, but the cabmen were in no hurry to take him to the hospital: he had neither money nor documents, and he looked extremely untidy. As a result, he ended up in a hospital for the poor.
Gaudí died on June 10, 1926 and was buried in his favorite place - in the Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia.