| Barcelona's best know modernist architect, Antoni | | | | However, most of his time was spent on one |
| Gaudi, was born Antoni Plàcid Guillem Gaudí i | | | | individual building: a catholic church built from private |
| Cornet on 25th June, 1852 in Tarragona, a province | | | | funds known as the Sagrada Família. The original |
| of southern Catalonia. There is some controversy as | | | | architect of this church had resigned, and Gaudi took |
| to his birthplace, which has been stated as Reus on | | | | it over in 1883. He spent a lot of time on it, and in |
| his birth certificate, but many claim it to have been | | | | 1911 finally abandoned all his other projects to work |
| Riudoms, which is a small village close by. | | | | exclusively on the Sagrada Família. He was a |
| Irrespective of this, he was certainly baptized in Reus | | | | devout Roman catholic, which likely influenced him |
| on the day after his birth. The families of both his | | | | greatly. |
| mother and father were coppersmiths. | | | | The Sagrada Família was the last project of his life, |
| He was a weak child, said to be suffering from | | | | and while he working on it he experienced two great |
| rheumatic fever, and was consequently isolated from | | | | tragedies. First, his devoted niece whom he loved |
| other children for long periods. It has been | | | | (in a family sense), Rosa Egea, died in 1912, and then |
| suggested that this could be the reason for his | | | | his patron, Eusebi Güell, died four years later. |
| eccentricity and that the long periods that he spent | | | | Gaudi's final years were spent as a recluse, and in his |
| alone with nature was why he was so interested in | | | | last year he lived in the crypt of the Sagrada |
| the natural themes and shapes that appeared in his | | | | Família. He died in 1926, five days after being run |
| architecture. | | | | over by a tram in Barcelona. |
| He studied architecture at the Escola Tècnica | | | | He looked so disheveled after his accident that taxi |
| Superior d'Arquitectura, Barcelona's famous | | | | drivers refused to take him to hospital because they |
| architectural school, and his unconventional designs | | | | thought him to be a beggar. It was only when he |
| promoted his professor to comment "Who knows if | | | | was visited by his friends the following day that his |
| we have given this diploma to a crazy person or a | | | | identity became known, but he refused to leave |
| genius. Only time will tell", as he signed his diploma | | | | the beggars hospital saying that he belonged 'among |
| qualifying Gaudi as an architect. He started up his | | | | the poor'. He was 73 years old when he died, and |
| own architectural business, and his first commission | | | | his body was interred in the crypt of his beloved |
| was to design the lampposts for a square in the | | | | Sagrada Família. |
| Gothic quarter of Barcelona known as the Plaça | | | | Many of Gaudi's architectural works have received |
| Reial, where they stand to this day. | | | | awards, but as is often the case, mostly after his |
| His peers would have nothing to with him at the | | | | death. Although the Casa Calvet had been given the |
| beginning, failing to understand his creativity and | | | | 1900 Building of the Year Award by Barcelona, it was |
| believing that his style was too unconventional. His | | | | not till 1969 that a number of his buildings were given |
| sole supporter at that time was Eusebi Güell, a | | | | recognition as Historic-Artist Monuments of National |
| wealthy industrialist who through time became his | | | | Interest. Three of his works were named World |
| patron and friend. He commissioned a number of | | | | Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1984, namely, Parque |
| works from Gaudi, including Park Güel and Palau | | | | Güell, Palau Güell, and Casa Milà. |
| Güell that enabled him to make his name. Although | | | | The influence of Antoni Gaudi on architecture around |
| Gaudi's architectural style has been associated with | | | | the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries cannot be |
| surrealism, art nouveau and Gothicism, he is known | | | | overestimated, and he is widely looked upon as one |
| as the foremost Spanish modernist architect of his | | | | of the most influential architects ever. As often |
| day. | | | | happens, his talent was not universally acknowledged |
| Other major architectural commissions undertaken by | | | | until well after his death, and even the authorities of |
| Gaudi included Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Casa Calvet | | | | his own city of Barcelona attempted to manacle him |
| and Casa Vicens. The last mentioned was built for a | | | | under the pretext that he failed to observe proper |
| tile and brick manufacturer, Manuel Vicens, and was | | | | codes and regulations. His beautiful way of bucking |
| appropriately fashioned from stone, red brick and | | | | the trend can be seen throughout the city of |
| colorful tiles. This was built between 1883 and 1889, | | | | Barcelona, and he needs no monuments because as |
| and one of his more conventional designs, built later | | | | he said himself: "Artists do not need monuments |
| between 1899 and 1904, was Casa Calvet that was | | | | erected for them because their works are their |
| designed for a textile manufacturer of the same | | | | monuments". |
| name. | | | | One last word: if you intend visiting Barcelona to be |
| The first two of the above works are visited more | | | | thrilled by the works of this great architect, you will |
| than most other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona, and the | | | | need somewhere to stay. There are many |
| Casa Milà is also known as La Pedrera (Catalan for | | | | Barcelona holiday apartments available in the area |
| 'the Quarry'). It was built between 1906 and 1910, | | | | where most of Gaudi's works can be seen and |
| and both are situated in the Eixample district of | | | | visited. |
| Barcelona, in the Passeig de Gràcia. | | | | |