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Located in Barcelona's Gràcia district, Casa Vicens was the first major work of the architect Antoni Gaudí. The house is one of the seven buildings designed by the great architect which were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2005.
Built between the years 1883 and 1888, the house presents various spaces separated by stepped angles, in a concept opposite from that of La Pedrera in which wavy lines predominate. The construction shows oriental and Moorish, touches, fashionable at the time, with the facade covered in green and white glazed tiles. A clear allusion to Manuel Vicens i Montaner, exchange and stock exchange broker and the man who entrusted Gaudí to design his future home. For the decoration, Gaudí was inspired by the plants that grow in the garden of the estate, applying for the first time his principle of using nature as an inspiration for architecture.
In the interior the Moorish style continues to predominate, which manifests in a very pronounced manner in the room known as the "fumador" (smoking room). On the ceiling, ornamentation in the form of colourful plants and flowers complete an exotic and surprising ensemble that he made all the rage among the elite of Barcelona at the time.
The MNAC (Catalan National Museum of Art) is located in the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc, built for the international exhibition of 1929. The Museum opened its doors in 1934, bringing together the medieval collection, which was gradually expanded to include works from other periods. Among the most emblematic works are the magnificent paintings from the apse in Sant Climent and Santa Maria de Taüll.
Regarding Romanesque art, other exceptional pieces include the mural paintings of Santa Maria d'Àneu and Sant Quirze de Pedret, the Batlló Majesty and the altar frontal of Avià. Notable from the Gothic period are masterpieces by painters such as Jaume Huguet, Lluís Dalmau, Bernat Martorell and Lluís Borrassà, among others.
Modern art also has a prominent place and especially since 2014 when the collection, the exhibition rooms and the museography of this period was renovated. La vicaria (The Spanish Wedding) by Marià Fortuny, is one of the star works, followed by pieces of the most representative artists of Modernisme, such as Gaudí or Casas, and those of the avant-garde, such as Picasso or Miró.
There are also great artists from the European Renaissance and Baroque such as Titian or Velazquez, for example, and the photographic exhibits complete the collection.
Contemporary art in Barcelona is MACBA. The Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona stands at the heart of the Catalan capital in a Richard Meier building that is itself a work of art. It is located in touching distance of the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), an reference point for lovers of 20th and 21st century art and culture.
MACBA, which was started in 1995, has established itself internationally as a model in contemporary art. Its collection of 5,500 works, allows a journey to be traced through the main artistic references of today. Beginning with materic abstraction from the 1950s, incorporating works of the European pop art and of the avant-garde of the 1960s and '70s. There are also works around the photographic figurative representation and minimalist sculpture.
Among the most important pieces you can see: Dins el roig, by Albert Ràfols-Casamada; Between the Frames: The Forum, by Antoni Muntadas; La saison des pluies II, by Miquel Barceló; Rinzen, by Antoni Tàpies; Beschwingte Bindungen, by Paul Klee; Thames Circles, by Richard Long, and Atomic Kiss, by Joan Rabascall, among others.
Tarragona and its surrounding area retains important traces of the Roman influence in the Iberian Peninsula. The archaeological complex of Tarraco was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000: the urban development of the city, as well as the density and the quality of the remains, make it a universal and incomparable asset.
The archaeological complex includes several monuments from the 3rd century BC until the 6th century AD, which are very well preserved. All of these are characteristic of provincial capitals, as was ancient Tarraco. The walls are notable for being the oldest construction in the city and an example of military engineering. Of the forum, the large square in which much of public life was focused, a section of arcade of the Basilica and part of a street are preserved; the rest of the complex is still hidden beneath the footprints of the modern buildings.
The theatre was built in an area outside the walls, very close to the forum and, as was usual, made use of the slope of the land. The three elements that define a Roman Theatre have been partially preserved: cavea (or the tiered seating), orchestra and scaena (stage). In the circus, the space where the cart races were run, a good part of the vaults and some sections of terracing, the remains of the façade and the podium, can be seen today, as well as some of the monumental doors through which the building was accessed.
But without doubt, the amphitheatre is the most iconic of the Roman trail in the city, and completes the trilogy of theatrical buildings. The characteristic arena is present – where all the spectacles were performed - surrounded by the cavea to accommodate the public; the remains visible today in the arena are from the Basilica and the Romanesque church of Santa Maria del Miracle ( 12th century), built on the same spot where the popular Saints of Tarragona, Fructuós, Auguri and Eulogi, suffered martyrdom.
On the outskirts of the city, near the Francolí River, the Early-Christian Necropolis constitutes one of the most extensive and important burial areas of Tarraco: this exceptional cemetery is considered the largest and most important in the whole of the west of the Roman Empire, with more than 2,000 burials.
Around Tarraco we find other buildings of great importance such as the Ferreres Aqueduct (Devil's bridge), the Triumphal Arch of Barà, the mausoleum of Centcelles, the Mèdol quarry and the Villa of Els Munts, among others.
Founded as a military camp by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio, Tarraco prospered both thanks to its coastal location and to its position in relation to the land routes to the interior of the peninsula. Thus, the city became a Roman colony, head of a conventus -a judicial demarcation - and capital of the province of Hispania Citerior and Tarraconensis.
With a style that is original, fantastic and full of imagination, the Casa Batlló is one of the most representative works of the architect Antoni Gaudí. Situated on the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona and inspired by nature, it is a marvel of ornamental design and a masterpiece of form, colour and light. For all these reasons, it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Without doubt, the most unique architectural element is the façade of Casa Batlló; the combination of stone, wrought iron, broken pieces of glass and polychrome ceramics that make it one of the most creative and original designs of the architect.
On the top, the roof is shaped like the back of animal with large iridescent scales. Crowning it all are large spherical pieces that look like ridges and remind one of the figure of a dragon or a similar fantastic animal. Another important element of the façade is the tower crowned by a cross with four arms, as well as the design of aquatic themes that decorate the walls. The mask-shaped balconies and main floor gallery simulating bones are two attractive additions to the building.
Highlights inside include, among other elements, the ceiling of the main hall, the groups of chimneys on the roof, the main staircase and the parabolic arches of the loft, creating open and ventilated spaces advanced for the time.
"A great mountain of pure salt that grows as it is extracted." This is how, according to Aulus Gel·li Cató described, in the second century, one of the most important potassium salt mines in the world, located in Cardona. It is a depression of land shaped like an elongated ellipse with an area of 100 hectares and containing unique natural and geological features. It has been exploited as an open mine since the Neolithic era, and from 1900 to 1990 through extraction, following the discovery of potassium salts by the engineer Emili Viader i Solé.
"La Muntanya de Sal de Cardona" (the Salt Mountain of Cardona) is now a cultural and tourist centre dedicated to promoting the importance of the geological site and its utility for man through the centuries.
The museum area is an open space that explains the geology, mineralogy and botany of the "Vall Salina de Cardona" (Salt Valley of Cardona), included since 1992 in the Plan for Areas of Natural Interest in Catalonia.
You can also learn about the history of the exploitation of salt throughout the centuries. Entering the old mining pit, you can see a unique piece of industrial archaeology: salt extraction machinery designed and built during the 1920s.
Montserrat is a symbol for Catalonia and a point of pilgrimage for believers. The main attraction is the Mare de Déu (the mother of God), the patron saint of Catalonia. This Romanesque Virgin is popularly known as La Moreneta, due to the colour of the face and hands, darkened by the smoke of lighted candles.
The monastery was founded in 1025 on the orders of the Abbot Oliba, on top of a small chapel that Guifré el Pilós had donated to the Monastery of Ripoll.
The visit to Montserrat starts at the 16th-century basilica with Romanesque remains and a Gothic structure. Starting from here, the Plaça de Santa Maria, the epicentre, you can go over the whole complex, thanks to the great 19th-century renovation led by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
Unmissable is the Museum of Montserrat. Its collection began with the materials of the biblical East brought back from his travels by Father Buenaventura Ubach. Since then, the collection has expanded with outstanding works from painters such as Caravaggio, Rusiñol, Casas, Nonell, Picasso, Monet, Sisley, Degas, Pissarro and Dali.
The museum being here is no coincidence. From the 17th century, Montserrat has been a cultural centre of the highest order as demonstrated by the exceptional library with more than 250,000 volumes from the monastery. Notable among the suggested activities is as visit to the Escolania, which is one of the oldest boys' choir schools in Europe, documented since the 14th century.
Near the Abbey, the neighbouring Monestir de Santa Cecília, is still preserved, which currently functions as the Sean Scully Art Space. Notable as well is the Romanesque church, also renovated in the 1930s by Puig i Cadafalch. Few know that this monastery was Abat Oliba’s first choice to extend his domains to Montserrat, but met with refusal of the community.
The musicians Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives, founders of the Catalan Choral Society in 1891, commissioned Lluis Domenech i Montaner to construct a building as the headquarters of the organisation. However, they didn't want just any building, rather a unique building that would reflect the sentiment of the Catalan bourgeoisie of the late nineteenth century. On 23rd April, 1905, construction was started and the Barcelona high-society did not miss its opening on 9th February, 1908.
A particularly outstanding feature of the façade is the sculptural cluster representing Catalan popular music. Once inside, the visitor encounters main foyer, a baroque area full of colour, before they are presented with the real jewel of the building: the concert hall. Domenech i Montaner used a steel structure that supports the weight of construction in order to obtain a large, open and clean space. In addition, the ceiling is adorned with a large skylight in the shape of an inverted dome that represents a sun surrounded by female faces. The stage is the other big attraction of the hall, flanked by the most important sculptures of the building.
Domenech i Montaner designed a palace where architecture is combined with sculpture, joinery, marquetry, glasswork, mosaic and ceramics. This is what we know as a true work of art.
In 1885, Eusebio Guell commissioned Antonio Gaudi to construct his residence in the heart of Barcelona, specifically in the street Nou de la Rambla. Gaudí conceived a solemn and ostentatious building, and used rich and expensive materials such as marble, hardwood and wrought iron. The sobriety of the façade, most likely due to its location on a small site on a narrow street, contrasts with the lavishness of its interior. Parabolic arches on the façade are decorated with wrought iron railings, and give away to a wide entrance, allowing for the entry of horses and carriages.
The building is accessed through a magnificent central hall covered by a dome that exceeds the height of the roof and, through perforations shaped like a star, lets in sunlight. The hall, with a chapel attached, is richly decorated with columns, windows and grilles and leads to other rooms, all replete with windows and ornate furniture. The palace also has a large stable basement, a feature that few houses had.
There is also innovation in the use of chimneys located on the roof of the building; elements frequently used in the imaginative decoration of Gaudí. In fact, it is in the design of these chimneys that the architect first used a decorative resource that became most representative of his work: the 'trencadís' (mosaic).
The Casa Milà is one of Antoni Gaudí's most unique works. Situated right on the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, it breaks with the physiognomy of the avenue. It is a building constructed with two interior patios and a basement, lower floor, main floor, four apartments, attic and roof. Gaudí established the building's structure based on stone pillars, brick and iron and the main support of the catenary archand parabolic arch.
Its construction generated a great deal of controversy in the early 1900's. Barcelonans gave it the nickname "La Pedrera," (the quarry) which refers to the type of creamy white stone used that comes from the quarries in Garraf and Vilafranca del Penedès.
Many also described it as a large boat that rowed along the Passeig de Gràcia. The building's façade is characterised by theundulations and openings in the stone to facilitate interior lighting and ventilation.
The building featured 20 homes that were rented to affluent families of the era. The Milà couple, the owners of the property, lived in the penthouse apartment. La Pedrera, however, is not a conventional residential building. Gaudí's objective was to create dwellings in movement, where everyone could have their own layout according to the needs of each tenant
The building is crowned with a rooftop terrace, finished with seven chimneys, covered withlime, white 'trencadís' (mosaic) and glass. The heads of seven mythological warriors are featured, which, from the almost imaginary rooftop, watch over the city.
