Barcelona

Every 23rd of April, Catalonia fills with roses and books to celebrate the day of Sant Jordi, a very special tradition dedicated to culture and love. Over the centuries, we’ve heard about the knight, the rose and the book, but we mustn’t forget that this story has another great protagonist: the dragon. These mythical creatures are a cultural symbol of Catalan identity and are hidden in many corners of Barcelona. We invite you to walk the city streets to discover these beasts in buildings and unique spaces, a way to find out about the legend of Sant Jordi, but this time from the perspective of the dragon.
 
Our first stop is the Palau de la Generalitat. Here, Sant Jordi is represented throughout the whole building: in the chapel, on an altarpiece, on the cross of the door, in the hall… In fact, on the façade of Calle del Bisbe, there’s the oldest representation of the knight fighting the dragon by Pere Joan in 1418.
 
Antoni Gaudí also took the iconography of the dragon to another level in many of his designs. The “trencadís” and ceramic tiling make his dragons the most spectacular specimens. Did you know that the structure of Casa Batlló is based on the myth of Sant Jordi killing the dragon? The wavy pieces on the roof represent the scales on the creature’s back. And we can’t forget the emblematic “trencadís” dragon from the fountain at the entrance to Park Güell, which has become a symbol of the city.
 
Sant Jordi is also represented in two of the most important works by Puig i Cadafalch. On the one hand, we find the entrance door to Casa Amatller decorated with a sculpture of Sant Jordi killing the dragon by Eusebi Arnau. On the other, the glazed ceramic mosaic of Sant Jordi stepping on the dragon in Casa Terrades, or Casa de les Punxes, by Enric Monserdà i Vidal. In Plaza de las Beates, in the Sant Pere i Santa Caterina neighbourhood, throughout the year, you can take in the city’s bestiary, where the dragon of Ciutat Vella really stands out. Right in the middle of the Rambla, Casa Bruno Cuadros also features a Japanese-style dragon on its facade. And in the Espanya Industrial park, there’s a giant slide shaped like a dragon. As well as these spaces, Barcelona is full of small details made from wrought iron and other artisan techniques that hide dragons. Some examples are the streetlamps by Gaudí in Plaza Reial, the door of the Pavellons Güell or the sign at the entrance to the Quatre Gats restaurant.

Sant Cugat, nestled between the mountain ranges of Collserola and Galliners, in Vallès Occidental, offers an attractive range of heritage, from the Roman era to modernity. Originally a Roman fortress located next to the road that connected Barcelona to Terrassa, the monastery was built in this same area from the 9th century. Due to the lengthy building process, we can find Carolingian, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements. The Romanesque cloister stands out, with 144 capitals decorated with iconography of biblical scenes, mythological beings and even a self-portrait of the sculptor and master builder Arnay Cadell.

Torre Negra is another building linked to the monastery. This imposing fortified house built using dark stone –hence its name–, originates from the fortress constructed in 1145 to defend the territory of the monastery. Another place where you can truly feel the weight of history is the chapel of Sant Domènec, a small building that was the backdrop to the battle of Sant Cugat on October 12, 1808, during the French War, when several French detachments were defeated in the area. After the battle, and right up until the 20th century, a meeting was held at the chapel every “Day of Pilar” to commemorate the victory.
 
Modernism can also be found in San Cugat in the form of a wine cellar. The wine cooperative commissioned Cèsar Martinell to lead the project, a specialist in the construction of cooperative wineries. Unfortunately, due to a lack of budget, the original design could not be completed and, from the initial project, only the production room was constructed. Another visit of artistic interest is the Centre Grau-Garriga d’Art Tèxtil Contemporani, where we can find textile art by members of the Catalan School of Tapestry, such as Josep Grau Garriga and his protégée Dolors Oromi.
 
Another way to connect with the history of Sant Cugat and the country is by paying a visit to the Centre de Restauració de Béns Mobles de Catalunya, a space that promotes the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. The visits show us how the restoration processes of heritage works are carried out.
 
If you’re visiting the city with your family, you can choose between various activities and themed itineraries at the Sant Cugat Museum and Tourist Office that will allow you to discover spaces like the Comic Museum and the Cal Gerrer House Museum.

A proposal brought to you in collaboration with Descobrir magazine.