The unique architectural appearance of the capital of Catalonia was magically influenced by the work of the great master Gaudi. Architect Antoni Gaudi i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the city of Reus in the Catalan province of Tarragona. His parents were boilermakers, and the young genius often helped his father and grandfather, admiring the masterly work of their hands in the manufacture of copper products. In love with nature and observant, Antonio was attracted by the perfection of forms, the play of colors and lines from childhood. The love for everything natural found a way out in Gaudi’s work - the master’s favorite materials were stone, ceramics, wood and wrought iron.

In total, Gaudí's architectural heritage includes 18 buildings, most of them are located in Barcelona, ​​defining the entire appearance of the city. He was in love with this city, spoke Catalan and drew inexhaustible inspiration for creativity from the culture of his people. Among the most famous works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona are the Casa Vicens, the Teresian School, the Bellesguard House, Palazzo Güell, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Park Güell and, of course, the Sagrada Familia.

The mysterious symbol of the city - the Church of the Holy Family

The temple is the “trademark” of Barcelona, ​​a universally recognized symbol of the city. Its majestic towers make a truly unforgettable impression, the building itself is full of secrets and coded messages from Gaudí. But, perhaps, the main mystery of this masterpiece, which was conceived as a temple for the atonement of sins, is its incompleteness.

The building was designed in the Gothic style, traces of which can be seen in the crypt and apse, but then the genius of improvisation changed the idea, experimenting with styles and creating his own unique architectural style. When creating the temple, Gaudi almost did not use drawings; he made sketches with his own hands, and therefore the work took a lot of time. The architect worked on the Sagrada Familia for forty-three years without completing the construction. In 1926, he died when he was hit by a tram at the intersection of Gran Via and Bailen streets.

In 1936, Gaudi's workshops were burned, and only 20 years later work on the construction of the temple was resumed, using small pieces of photographs and sketches and, of course, without that magical improvisation that was unique to Gaudi. Construction of the cathedral continues to this day, steadily overcoming financial and other difficulties. The Sagrada Familia, located in the very center of the city at 401 Mallorca Street, annually attracts thousands of tourists who, admiring the grandeur of Gaudí's project, try to unravel its secret...

Casa Batllo in Barcelona

Casa Batllo (“Battle”, "Batlio » ) - one of the many masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, an elegant example of the Art Nouveau style, so widespread in Catalonia at the beginning of the 20th century. Casa Batlló was built between 1904 and 1906 at 43 Paseo de Gracia. Gaudi reconstructed the house using his signature style: multi-colored and sparkling mosaics, curved lines, expressive forms, fancy balconies, a fantastic roof with tiles in the shape of fish scales.

The local name for the house is Casa dels ossos (“House of Bones”). It is truly recognizable as images of the bones and internal organs of some gigantic mysterious animal. The roof of the house is covered with arches, which creates associations with the back of a dragon. According to the generally accepted opinion, the rounded detail to the left of the center, ending in a turret with a cross, represents the sword of St. George (Saint George - the patron saint of Catalonia), stabbed into the back of the dragon.

Casa Mila, La Pedrera

Casa Mila in Barcelona is one of the best examples of the architectural concept of Antoni Gaudi. To some, its façade resembles rolling waves, while to others, it resembles a stone mountain with caves. Barcelona residents jokingly call it “La Pedrera” (“The Quarry”).

Gaudí, as usual, drew inspiration from nature when constructing this house on the corner of the busy Passeig de Gràcia and Provença. The concept of modernity here is something living, fluid, moving; you can distinguish caves, the sea, and the underwater world. The view of Barcelona from the roof is just as amazing; there are no guardrails, and the gardens and mysterious figures seem to hang over the abyss.

In 1984, Casa Mila was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and today the top floor houses a museum dedicated to Antoni Gaudi, while the remaining floors are dedicated to luxury housing.

Park Guell

Another famous Gaudí project is Park Güell, located behind Place Lesseps, on Rue Olot. The park was built from 1900 to 1914, but, unfortunately, like the Sagrada Familia, it was not completed.

The park, a joint project of Gaudi and the entrepreneur Güell, was a very promising idea: on the slope of one of the hills of the Barcelona plain, it was planned to build a green town for the relaxation of wealthy citizens. However, the economic crisis struck and construction had to be frozen. Gaudi managed to only partially realize his dreams - one wall of the proposed park was built.

At the entrance to the park you are greeted by two cozy “gingerbread” houses, modeled after fortress towers, separated by spectacular iron gates (Gaudi himself later settled in one of these houses). A staircase leads up, decorated with sculptures of phantasmagoric animals covered in mosaics, among them is Gaudi’s characteristic lizard, a symbol of good luck and prosperity, found in almost every work of the master. The staircase leads to the spacious “Hall of a Hundred Columns”, the highlight of which is that the roof is also a winding balcony, and the cornice of the colonnade is the back of a continuous bench bordering the entire upper area. It offers one of the best views of the city.

Park Güell is considered one of Gaudí's works where his imagination was most evident. In the house where the architect lived in 1906–1926, a museum named after him is now open.

Casa Vicens

One of the first works of Antoni Gaudí is the Vicens House, which is located at 18–24 Caroline Street. In 1878, the young entrepreneur Manuel Vicens ordered the construction of his house from the then aspiring architect Antonio Gaudi. For reasons beyond his control, construction was delayed for 5 years, and this was a salvation for the young Gaudi, who simply did not know how to design a house: the construction site was quite narrow, and it was necessary to build in a row of almost “rubbed” together buildings.

As a result, Gaudi’s imagination was not able to run wild to the fullest; the house was built very simply, without frills or crooked lines. To revive the image, the architect decided to decorate the facade of the building using numerous bay windows and tiled decor. The natural stone wall base was complemented by raw brick trim. However, the main attraction of the house was given by the colorful tiled decoration of the walls and windows and the crazy mixture of styles: Gaudi used techniques from different traditions, combining incompatible things, sculpting yellow flowers from tiles, installing Moorish turrets on the roof and decorating the garden with a wrought-iron fence in the art nouveau style. The result is a wonderful example of modernism and a testament to the eternal genius of Antoni Gaudi.

If you are going to Barcelona, ​​be sure to visit these sights, priceless heritage of Antoni Gaudi. Contact us atphones Center for services for business and life in Spain “Spain in Russian” , and we will help organize interesting individual or group excursions tothe unforgettable creations of Antoni Gaudi.

Gaudí's Magic Houses are located primarily in Barcelona, ​​as this is where Antoni Gaudí lived and worked. Of course, Gaudi was not the only one who created modern Barcelona. The city saw many talented architects during a relatively short period of time called the Catalan Renaissance. In addition to Gaudi's Barcelona, ​​there is also modern Barcelona, ​​Gothic Barcelona, ​​and the "Spanish Village" district, which embodies the styles of all Spanish provinces, and the famous Rambla - the district of old Barcelona. But Gaudi's Barcelona is something special, incomparable. The thirteen objects (not always buildings) built by Gaudí in Barcelona give it its originality and charm and are an irresistible attraction for tourists.

At the beginning of Gaudí's independent work, his first, richly decorated, early Art Nouveau projects were built:

“Stylist Twins” - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona)

Quirky El Capricho (mood) (Comillas, Cantabria).

And also the compromise pseudo-baroque House of Calvet (Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the townspeople during his lifetime (by the way, the house was built without a single load-bearing wall inside).

Gaudi was extremely uncommunicative and even withdrawn. He's even cruel to people. Gaudí never married. Since childhood, he suffered from rheumatism, which prevented him from playing with other children, but did not interfere with long solitary walks, to which he had a passion all his life. He did not recognize luxury and wealth, ate and dressed haphazardly. - when it concerned him personally. But at the same time he built luxurious buildings. There were no records left from Gaudí; he had no close friends. And many of the circumstances of his life have still not been clarified. Calvet House inside:

Decisive for the flourishing of the young architect was his meeting with Eusebi Güell. Gaudí later became a friend of Güell. This textile magnate, the richest man in Catalonia, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget. Palace Guell:

A great architect who almost never worked with drawings, whose work was based on scrupulous mathematical calculations, a subversive of authority and a trendsetter who created outside of established styles. His main tools were imagination, intuition and... mental calculations. You could say he was the Einstein of architecture. Palace Güell, view from the roof:

Having gained financial "independence", Gaudí goes beyond the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, declaring war on the straight line and forever moving into the world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakably recognizable style.

Antonio Gaudí i Cornet was born on June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona, in Catalonia. He was the fifth and youngest child in the family of boilermakers Francesc Gaudí i Serra and his wife Antonia Cornet i Bertrand. It was in his father’s workshop, as the architect himself admits, that the sense of space awakened in him.

Gaudi's Barcelona is a fairy tale embodied in architecture. Onlookers mill around in front of his residential buildings. It is strange that people live in these tower houses, and not fairy-tale creatures; that under these raised roofs, behind these curved facades with swollen balconies, everyday life goes on. It is even more difficult to imagine that every detail of this excessively lush decor carries not only an aesthetic, but also a functional load. That is, it was created not only to amaze the imagination: rich Barcelonans are accustomed not only to luxury, but also to comfort.

With the completion of the palace, Antoni Gaudí ceased to be an anonymous builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, ​​soon becoming an "almost unaffordable luxury". For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other: a space that is born and develops, expanding and moving, like living matter.

Mosaic ceiling in the house:

Gaudi is a genius far ahead of his time. A phenomenon that defies explanation, much less imitation. Unique, incomparable, unthinkable.

But his main creation, the pinnacle of his art and the outlet of his heart was the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Familia). In 1906, his father died, and six years later, his ill-health niece, his last close person, died. Gaudi completely closed himself off and made this temple his atoning sacrifice. Imagine, all the money that he earned as the architect of the temple, Gaudi invested in the construction itself. He worked for free for many years, not considering himself to have the right to appropriate people’s money, and the temple was built with donations from rich and poor Barcelonans.

Gaudí did not hope to complete the Sagrada Familia during his lifetime. He dreamed of finishing the East Facade of the Nativity so that his own generation could see the fruits of his efforts. By doing this, he obliged future builders to continue working. He managed to complete the chapel, the apse (the semicircular part of the building), a section of the monastery, and part of the vestibule<Розарий>and a parochial school. The three bell towers of the Nativity façade were completed after his death. He left detailed drawings, 1:10 scale models, and design sketches so that his followers would not deviate from his plan. But continuing construction turned out to be difficult: it required huge funds. It was decided to mothball it during the civil war. Several times the Temple was under threat of destruction.

The school was destroyed, Gaudi's workshop was destroyed. The controversy over whether to continue or freeze the work was a logical consequence of the authorities’ attitude towards the work of the great Catalan. The work either progressed in full swing, or was curtailed due to lack of funds. But then His Majesty the people intervened. Money continued to flow into the Temple Construction Fund. On average, construction costs three million dollars annually.

This year, Barcelona's Jews donated five million. But even with a stable influx of funds, construction is designed for at least another 65 years, although no one can name the exact date. Gaudi couldn’t name her either. When asked when the Sagrada Familia would be completed, he replied: “My customer is in no hurry.”

Now the boom of a tower crane hangs over the Temple. The interior is a huge construction site: concrete mixers, iron structures, reinforced concrete blocks, plaster decorative parts, column capitals. The most advanced technologies and materials that Gaudi did not know are used. Computer analysis confirms the accuracy of his calculations, which he checked using sandbags suspended from a model. Skeptics doubt that the Sagrada Familia will ever be completed and that Gaudi's secret plan was to make its construction eternal.

Gaudi is considered to be part of Catalan Art Nouveau. He is its brightest representative. But it does not completely fit into any architectural movement. With the same success it can be attributed to the Moorish Baroque, Neoclassicism or Neo-Gothic. But he chose to arbitrarily mix all architectural styles, creating his own eclecticism. What really sets it apart from everyone else is the connection between architecture and nature.

Gaudi died when he was hit by the first tram to be launched at the foot of Mount Tibidabo. He was almost 74 years old. He probably could have survived, but the cab drivers refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money or documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Gaudí was eventually taken to a hospital for the poor, and no one could recognize the famous architect until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to transport him to the best hospital, he refused, saying that “his place is here, among the poor.” Gaudí died on the third day, June 10, 1926. In 1926, Antonio Gaudi, the greatest architect of the 20th century, whose creations now and forever defined the appearance of Barcelona, ​​was buried in the crypt of the cathedral he had not completed.

Gaudi deifies nature. His church spiers are topped with sheaves of cereals and ears of corn, the window arches are topped with baskets of fruit, and bunches of grapes hang from the facades; drainpipes writhe in the shape of snakes and reptiles; the chimneys are twisted with snails, the grates are forged in the shape of palm leaves. But Gaudi does something that no one had dared to do before: he transfers the laws of nature to architecture. He managed to achieve the continuous fluidity of architectural forms, accessible only to living nature. He uses parabolic floors and inclined tree columns. There is not a single straight line in his projects, just as there is none in nature.

Catalan modernism, the impetus for which was, in particular, Antoni Gaudi, arose on the powerful crest of national resistance. Catalonia did not always belong to Spain. It became Spanish as a result of the royalist marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the one who sent Columbus on his voyage and expelled the Jews from Spain. Over the next three centuries, Catalonia gradually lost its privileges and increasingly became a Spanish province. The proud Catalans could not accept this. They strongly opposed Spanish cultural expansion. The explosion of national self-awareness affected all spheres of public life: music, literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, theater, language. Eventually, the Catalans regained their language, Catalan, and achieved autonomous governance. Barcelona has become the most beautiful city in the country.

By the way, at the dawn of his activity, Gaudí was associated with workers' trade unions. The labor movement in industrial Catalonia, especially in the textile industry, was most intense. Gaudí's first major project was the creation of a workers' town in Montaro. Subsequently, Gaudi moved away from the labor movement, became a devout Catholic and erected Christian symbols not only on cathedrals and residential buildings, but also on purely utilitarian buildings.

Among Gaudí's residential buildings, the apartment building that went down in history under the name "Casa Mila" is especially famous. This house was popularly nicknamed "Pedrera" ("Kamenyuka"), "Wasp's Nest" or, even worse, "Meat Pie".

But if, of all the modern buildings in the world, only this one remained in the world, it would personify modernity in its perfect form. This six-story undulating building wraps around the intersection of Grazia Boulevard and Provenza Street. Visitors are allowed there as if they were in a museum.

Anticipating the flow of visitors, Gaudi turned the roof into a terrace and at the same time an observation deck. He placed stables in the basement - this was a prototype of a garage. He was the first to use a ramp (lifting from floor to floor) for horses and carriages - this principle was later used in multi-story parking lots.

A few months after Gaudi's death, the young Japanese sculptor Kenji Imai visited Barcelona. He was so shocked by the Temple that he decided to create a cathedral in Nagasaki based on studying the works of Gaudí. Since then, the Japanese pilgrimage to Barcelona began.

There are a lot of tourists here from other countries :)

Gaudi's magical houses inspire many people

Based on materials from http://www.uadream.com/tourism/europe/Spain/element.php?ID=20873

Antonio Gaudi: the most mysterious architect in history who worked miracles

We often hear about brilliant musicians, writers, and poets. When applied to architecture, the word “brilliant” is used much less frequently. Perhaps because it is much more difficult to realize such a talent than any other. All the more valuable to history is anyone who managed to replenish the architectural heritage of mankind with creations of unique beauty. The brightest and most mysterious among such geniuses is the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi - the creator of the legendary Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Palace Guell, Casa Batllo and other unique masterpieces that adorn Barcelona today, making it a truly unique city.

Antonio Gaudi was born in Catalonia in 1852 in the family of the blacksmith Francisco Gaudi i Serra and his wife Antonia Curnet i Bertrand. In the family he was the youngest of five children. After the death of Antonio's mother, two brothers and sister, he settled in Barcelona with his father and niece. Since childhood, Gaudí was very sick; rheumatism prevented him from playing with other children. Instead, he took long walks alone, which he eventually grew to love. It was they who helped him become closer to nature, which throughout his subsequent life inspired the architect to solve the most incredible constructive and artistic problems.

The brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi.

While studying at Catholic college, Antonio was most interested in geometry and drawing. In his free time, he spent time exploring local monasteries. Already in those years, teachers admired the works of the young artist Gaudi. And he said with complete seriousness that his talent was God’s gift. In the process of creating his creations, he often turned to the theme of God, and did not deviate from it even when choosing the artistic aspects of his work. For example, he did not like straight lines, calling them a product of man. But Gaudi adored circles and was convinced of their divine origin. These principles can be clearly seen in all his 18 architectural creations, which today are the pride of Barcelona. They are characterized by a bold combination of materials, textures and colors. Gaudi used his own unsupported floor system, which made it possible not to “cut” the rooms into parts. Repeating his calculations became possible only after NASA created a calculation of the flight trajectories of spacecraft.

The architect’s first buildings were “House of Vicens”, “El Capriccio”, “Pavilion of the Güell Estate”. They differ significantly from each other, however, they are all decorated with a large number of decorative details in the neo-Gothic style.

"Pavilion of the Guell estate."

In general, the architectural style of Antoni Gaudi is phantasmagorical, difficult to define, although the architect was called a genius of modernism. Gaudi was the most prominent representative of his national romantic movement, Catalan modernism. Incredibly, he was not helped by design engineers, he acted on instinct, relying only on his sense of harmony, often improvised and tried to convey his idea to his assistants using drawings on the board. His architectural creations have everything: bizarre structural forms, sculptures, paintings, mosaics, color plastics. They contain people and animals, fantastic creatures, trees, flowers.

Casa Batllo.

Antonio was very handsome, however, in his personal life he was lonely. Of course, he had affairs, but none of them ended in marriage or any kind of serious relationship. In essence, he was married to his creations. Antonio was a quite wealthy man and had the opportunity to rent any housing, but while working on the next project he invariably lived right at the construction site, equipping a small closet for himself, and wore old overalls.

Gaudí's architecture makes Barcelona unique.

This was the case during his work on his favorite and, perhaps, most grandiose creation - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, the construction of which he never had the opportunity to complete. It began in 1882, when Gaudí was 30 years old, and has not been completed to this day. The architect devoted 40 years of his life to this project. And on June 7, 1926, Gaudi left the construction site and disappeared. On the same day, on one of the streets of Barcelona, ​​a poor man was run over by a tram. Only a few days later he was identified as the greatest architect Antonio Gaudi. He found his last refuge in one of the chapels of the Sagrada Familia.

Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia.

During Gaudi's funeral procession, in which probably half the city took part, a mystical thing happened. Many townspeople, among whom were very respected people, claimed that they saw ghosts in the crowd of people who came to say goodbye to the genius. For example, Salvador Dali spoke about this.

In the Sagrada Familia cathedral.

Today, this mystery, which once excited Barcelona, ​​has already become history and the subject of excursions. But there are still people who believe that if you exactly repeat the route of Gaudi’s last journey, you can get a piece of his incredible talent. And we can simply be grateful to the genius for his selfless devotion to art and love for the people to whom he left a priceless architectural heritage.

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

Biography of Antonio Gaudi reveals a lot of interesting points 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, an element in which he did not give concessions to anyone, often being tough and cruel with workers. Antonio Gaudi i Cornet 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 shapes of the genius’s buildings, reminiscent of sand castles. Even as a child, Antonio suffered from pneumonia and rheumatism. Due to his illnesses, 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 of forms in his creations that were close to natural.

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

House of Vicens

The House of Vicens (Casa Vicens, 1878) was designed for diploma student and building materials manufacturer 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 equipped the building with rich ceramic decoration and so many extensions, 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 garden fence, and also made sketches of the interior of the dining room and smoking room. In this project, the experience of creating a parabolic arch was used for the first time. This villa can be seen on Carolines Street, unfortunately now without a garden.

His career began with very modest commissions; in addition to a street lamp for the Royal Square, he designed store windows and designed street toilets. But thanks to this, he was noticed by the wealthy industrialist Count Eusebio Güell y Bacigalupi, who became his patron and regular customer until the count’s death in 1918. Count Guell gave Gaudí complete freedom, thereby allowing him to express himself. Everything that Antonio built for Güell became a collection of masterpieces that Barcelona is so proud of.

Gaudí's first work for Count Güell was the construction of the count's estate in the district of Garraf (1884-1887). Only the gate with the forged dragon remained intact; the appearance of the mighty monster on the gate was very symbolic, since it is part of the emblem of Catalonia, and its curves follow the outlines of the Draco constellation. This was what Gaudi was all about; all his buildings and sculptures are imbued with symbolism. Next to the gate are the entrance pavilions, which formerly housed the stables, the riding 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.

Gaudí’s most unique work for the count was the building of the Barcelona residence of the Güells (1886-1891). This building is a clear reflection of Gaudí's own style. A unique combination of materials and multi-colors creates fantastic images. The roof of this building is covered with decorative chimneys and ventilation pipes of unimaginable types, none of which are repeated. Gaudi did not forget about the practicality of his buildings; thanks to the huge arches, it was easy for 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 during the day, raising your head, it seemed as if you were looking at the starry sky. Everything in this building was designed by Gaudí, the balcony railings, the furniture, the stucco on the ceilings, the columns (forty different shapes).

The architect's main dream was to build churches; he was a deeply religious man. He was approached by the Catholic Church to complete the building of the College of the Sisters of the Order of St. Teresa, which had been abandoned by another architect. The order's funds were very meager, since the order took a vow of poverty. But Gaudi was able to give this building a sophisticated, sophisticated style, decorating it not luxuriously, but modestly: with the coats of arms of the order, turrets with crosses and arches.

Another order of the church was the episcopal palace in Astorga (1887-1893), which he never managed to complete, since the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, whose permission was required for the implementation of this project, hounded the architect with amendments, and he quit the job because defended every stroke on his drawings. The palace was completed by a different architect, but retained the general appearance of Gaudi, reminiscent of medieval castles with its turrets and buttresses.

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

In addition to the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona is home to 13 major buildings by Antoni Gaudí, which give the city a unique flavor and give an idea of ​​the style of the brilliant creator. These include Casa 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), Casa Batllo (the wavy, scaly roof of which resembles a giant snake), Porta Mirales (a rounded wall , covered with tiles made of tortoiseshell), 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 Güell country estate, the Bellesguard 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 become “fashionable” among wealthy citizens, he did not go out of it until the end of his life.

Architect Antonio Gaudi died when hit by a tram on June 7, 1926. There is widespread information that on this day the first tram was launched in Barcelona and that it was supposedly that the architect was crushed by it, but this is just a legend. Gaudi was an unkempt old man and was mistaken for a homeless man. He died three days later on June 10, in a homeless shelter, but he was identified quite by chance 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 Temple of the Holy Family, where you can see his grave and death mask.

By decision of UNESCO, Park Güell, Palace Güell and Casa Mila were declared heritage of humanity.

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Antonio Gaudi born June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, near Tarragona in Catalonia (Spain). Gaudi spent his childhood by the sea. He carried the impressions of his first architectural experiments throughout his life, which is why some of his houses resemble sand castles. Due to rheumatism, the boy could not play with children and was often left alone, spending a lot of time communicating with nature. Mobility limited due to illness sharpened the future architect’s powers of observation and opened up to him the world of nature, which became the main source of inspiration in solving both artistic, design and constructive problems. Antonio loved to spend a long time watching the mountains, clouds, flowers, and snails. Gaudi's mother instilled in the boy a love of religion. She inspired him that since the Lord had left him alive, Antonio must definitely find out why.

In the seventies of the 19th century, Gaudí moved to Barcelona, ​​where, after five years of preparatory courses, he was admitted to the Higher School of Architecture, from which he graduated in 1878. It was an educational institution of a new type, in which teachers did everything to ensure that learning did not turn into a routine. At the School, students were encouraged to have the opportunity to participate in real projects, and practical experience is always very valuable to an architect. Antonio studied with pleasure and enthusiasm, sat in the library in the evenings, learned German and French in order to be able to read literature on his profile. Antonio was one of the best students, but was never loved.

In 1870-1882, Antonio Gaudi worked under the supervision of architects Emilio Sala and Francisco Villar as a draftsman, unsuccessfully participating in competitions; studied crafts, performing many small works (fences, lanterns, etc.), and also designed furniture for his own home.

In Europe at that time there was an extraordinary flowering neo-gothic style , and young Gaudi enthusiastically followed the ideas of neo-Gothic enthusiasts - the French architect and writer Violet le Duc (the largest restorer of Gothic cathedrals in the 19th century, who restored Notre Dame Cathedral) and the English critic and art critic John Ruskin. The declaration they proclaimed “Decorativeness is the beginning of architecture” was fully consistent with Gaudi’s own thoughts and ideas, whose creative style over the years becomes completely unique, architecture is as far from the generally accepted one as Lobachevsky’s geometry is from classical Euclidean.

During the period of early creativity, marked by the influences of the architecture of Barcelona, ​​as well as the Spanish architect Martorel, his first, richly decorated, early Art Nouveau projects were built: “stylistic twins” - elegant House of Vicens (Barcelona) and the whimsical El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

In accordance with the owner’s desire to see a “kingdom of ceramics” in his country residence, Gaudi covered the walls of the house with multi-colored iridescent majolica tiles, decorated the ceilings with hanging stucco “stalactites,” and filled the courtyard with fancy gazebos and lanterns. The garden buildings and the residential building formed a magnificent ensemble, in the forms of which the architect first tried out his favorite techniques:

● abundance of ceramic finishes;

● plasticity, fluidity of forms;

● bold combinations of different style elements;

● contrasting combinations of light and dark, horizontals and verticals.

El Capricho (Comillas, Cantabria):

The outside of the building is faced with rows of brick and ceramic tiles. The first floor is faced with wide rows of multi-colored bricks alternating with narrow stripes of majolica tiles with relief casts of sunflower inflorescences.

The compromise pseudo-baroque dates back to the same period. House Calvet(Barcelona) - the only building recognized and loved by the citizens during his lifetime:

Also during these years the following projects appeared:

● School at the monastery of St. Teresa (Barcelona) in a restrained Gothic, even “serf” style:

● Neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga (Castilla and Leon):

● Neo-Gothic Botines House (Leon):

However, his meeting with Eusebi Guelem . Gaudí later became a friend of Güell. This textile magnate, the richest man in Catalonia, no stranger to aesthetic insights, could afford to order any dream, and Gaudi received what every creator dreams of: freedom of expression without regard to the budget. Antonio carries out designs for the pavilions of the estate in Pedralbes near Barcelona for the Güell family; wine cellars in Garraf, chapels and crypts of Colonia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelho); fantastic Park Güell (Barcelona). In these works, Gaudi goes beyond the dominant historical styles within the eclecticism of the 19th century, declaring war on the straight line and forever moving into the world of curved surfaces to form his own, unmistakably recognizable style.

One day Güell conceived the idea of ​​reconstructing his summer country residence. For this purpose, he expands his holdings by acquiring several more plots. He gave the order for the reconstruction of the country house to Antonio Gaudi, instructing him to remake the park, reform the country house, erect a fence with a gate, build new pavilions at the entrance to the estate, and the architect was also instructed to build a stable with an indoor arena. Now this complex is called Park Guell .

Like all subsequent works of Gaudí, these buildings are deeply symbolic; there are no random details here. The architect's plan was based on the myth of the magical garden of the Hesperides. This myth was reflected in the poem “Atlantis” by the Catalan author Jacinta Verdaguer, who often visited the Guell estate. The poem describes one of the labors of Hercules, who was ordered by the king of Mycenae, wanting to test the strength of Hercules, to get golden apples from the garden, which was carefully guarded. The most interesting, preserved part of the estate is the gate in the shape of a dragon. According to legend, the bloodthirsty dragon Ladon guarded the entrance to the garden, where there grew a tree with golden apples that bestow eternal youth and immortality.

Another Gaudí building for his philanthropist and friend is the manufacturer’s house in Barcelona, ​​the so-called Palace Guell :

With the completion of the palace, Antoni Gaudí ceased to be an anonymous builder, quickly becoming the most fashionable architect in Barcelona, ​​soon becoming an "almost unaffordable luxury".

At that time, Antonio Gaudi was still working as a draftsman in the architectural bureau of his former teacher at the Higher School of Architecture, Villar. This also played an interesting role in Gaudi’s later life. The point is that construction Temple of the Holy Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) has been going on in Barcelona for several years. And when the question arose about replacing the architect, Villar proposed the candidacy of Gaudi. Oddly enough, the Church Council accepted it. Antonio founded his own architectural bureau, recruited a staff of assistants and plunged headlong into work ( )

The clients, who were ready to spend half a fortune on construction, initially believed in the genius of the architect, who was effortlessly paving a new path in architecture. For the bourgeoisie of Barcelona, ​​he built houses one more unusual than the other. One of these houses was the house Casa Mila - space that is born and develops, expanding and moving like living matter. The house is better known as La Pedrera, which translates as the quarry. The project was commissioned by entrepreneur Pedro Mila y Camps. He needed a house whose apartments he could rent out. Gaudí planned a wavy façade. The iron structures were faced with cut stone, which was cut down nearby in the province of Barcelona:

Design began in 1906, and the architect, with his characteristic scrupulousness, verified all the lines. He designed the space so that the neighbors felt as isolated as possible from each other, and besides, if the owner of the house decided to turn it into a hotel, then no problems should arise either. Nevertheless, Pedro Mila expressed impatience and urged him in every possible way. But obstacles arose at every step. Thus, the regulatory authorities were unhappy with the column, which protruded half a meter onto the sidewalk. They demanded that it be removed. Gaudi fought for every detail of his project. He threatened that if he still had to remove the column, then in the place where it should have been, he would write who exactly was guilty of its absence.

Then there were sizing issues. The height of the structure was four meters higher than permitted. There was a requirement to cut down the attic. In case of failure to comply with the requirement, the owner was subject to a fine that corresponded to a fifth of the entire project. A commission was created that recognized the building as of great value and thus all this disagreement with the law was resolved.

House Mila took three years to build. While the work was going on, the rich Pere Mila became poor, since he had already paid 100 thousand pesetas for the architect’s violation of all construction standards. Therefore, towards the end, he could not stand it and said: “I won’t pay.” Gaudi replied: “Well, then finish the construction yourself.” After which they dispersed, patting their empty pockets, vilifying each other and taking the case to court. But subsequent generations can now be inspired and enjoy the beautiful architectural monument.

A similar project by Gaudi - Casa Batlló - a living, trembling creature, the fruit of a bizarre fantasy that has an unusual origin: it has a developed plot - St. George kills the dragon. The first two floors resemble the bones and skeleton of a dragon, the texture of the wall resembles its skin, and the roof of a complex pattern resembles its spine. Above the roof rises a tower in the form of a spear piercing the dragon's body. Casa Batllo is also known as the "House of Bones":

WITH Church of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia - became the most famous work of Antoni Gaudi, although he did not start building it and he did not finish it. But for the architect himself, this work became the culmination of his life and work. Attaching particular importance to this building as a monumental symbol of the national and social revival of Catalonia, Antogio Gaudí focused entirely on it from 1910, placing his workshop here.

According to Gaudí, the Sagrada Familia was to become a symbolic building, a grandiose allegory of the Nativity of Christ, represented by three facades. The eastern one is dedicated to Christmas; the western one - the Passion of Christ, the southern one, the most impressive, should become the facade of the Resurrection. The portals and towers of the Sagrada Familia are richly sculpted to resemble the entire living world, with a dizzying complexity of profiles and detailing that surpasses anything Gothic has ever known. This is a kind of Gothic Art Nouveau, which, however, is based on the plan of a purely medieval cathedral.

Despite the fact that Gaudi built the Sagrada Familia for thirty-five years, he managed to build and decorate only the Nativity façade, which is structurally the eastern part of the transept, and the four towers above it. The western part of the apse, which forms the largest part of this magnificent building, is still unfinished. More than seventy years after Gaudí's death, construction of the Sagrada Familia continues today. Spiers are gradually being erected (only one was completed during the architect’s lifetime), facades with figures of the apostles and evangelists, scenes of the ascetic life and atoning death of the Savior are being decorated. Construction of the Church of the Holy Family is expected to be completed by 2030.

The model of the future Temple of the Holy Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) in Barcelona, ​​made up of suspended bags of sand, could only be “read” by modern computers! By connecting the bag dots, the researchers obtained a spatial model of the cathedral. In addition, in order not to “cut” the room into pieces, Gaudi came up with his own unsupported ceiling system, and only 100 years later a computer program appeared that could perform such operations. It was a NASA program that calculated space flight trajectories.

The architect spent his last years as an ascetic hermit, completely devoting all his strength and energy to creating the immortal Cathedral of the Holy Family - Sagrada Familia, which became the highest embodiment of not only his unique talent, but also his devout faith. He decorated the tops of the temple towers so carefully that the angels would be pleased to look at them.

At the end of lifeAntonio Gaudi became very ill. I caught brucellosis or Maltese fever, which is still difficult to diagnose today. Doctors believe that “brucellosis is characterized by sudden changes in mood, leading to suicidal depression. Interspersed with outbursts of anger and periods of distraction, this depressed mood is accompanied by physical exhaustion, excruciating headaches and painful arthritis.” There was no cure for this disease. Perhaps this can explain why Gaudi has changed so much for the worse. He walked around in saggy jackets, and his trousers hung around his legs, which he wrapped in bandages because of the cold... And no underwear! However, he did not change his outer clothes until they turned into rags. The great architect ate what was put into his hand while walking - a piece of bread, for example. If nothing was shoved in, I didn’t eat anything. When he didn’t eat anything for a very long time, he lay down and began to die. But one of the students came, changed his clothes, fed him...

On June 7, 1926, 73-year-old Gaudi was hit by a tram and lost consciousness. Cab drivers refused to take an unkempt, unknown old man without money or documents to the hospital, fearing non-payment for the trip. Gaudi soon died from his injuries.

Watch a video presentation of Gaudi's most famous works: