Barcelona: a feast for the eyes
We just spent ten days in Barcelona and the surrounding area, and I have lots of wonderful information to pass on.
To start with, I want to talk about the unique and amazing work of the architect Antoni Gaudi. It weaves in and out of the Barcelona street scene, popping up where you least expect it: from the monumental Sagrada Familia church, to the whimsical facade and roof of the Casa Battlo, to the streetlamps along the Passeig de Gracia. Gaudi’s inimitable style is everywhere there, which is as it should be—he was a fervent Catalan, and Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia.
(As an aside, I have to mention the Catalan language. All the signage throughout the city is in Catalan, with only an occasional nod to Spanish. When you first see it, it seems impenetrable. But if you have some familiarity with Spanish and French, you can begin to decode it with a little contemplation. “Avenue” is “avinguda”; “welcome” is “benvigut”. Some translations defy expectation, though: “with” is “amb”!)
Gaudi was a master of light and space, in addition to creating fantastic decorations. Some of his houses look like illustrations for fairy tales. In most cases, though, his decorative flights of fancy have practical uses. The structures on top of the apartment house known as La Pedrera may look like medieval knights, but they actually house stairwells and ventilation systems.
He took much of his inspiration from nature. In the Sagrada Familia, for example, the soaring arches of the nave effectively recall tree limbs, making visitors feel they are standing in a grove of massive trees. In the Casa Battlo, a private home which he remodeled, the details recall elements of the sea: waves, nautilus shapes, and so on.
This site will give you an overview of Gaudi’s work: Gaudí Central
Click here to take a virtual tour of the Sagrada Familia.
To learn about La Pedrera, go to Fundacio Caixa Catalunya. Once on the site, click on “English”, then “Culture”. Choose “Visits to La Pedrera” and “Espai Gaudi” for full information about the building and other Gaudi works.
Next entry: Picasso, Miró, and Dalí -- the Catalan connection
Previous entry: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits
