Page 170 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

168  BARCEL ONA

staircase beneath a stained-glass
roof. The Amatller family apart-
ments have been restored to
their former glory and are now
open to the public. The rest of
the building is occupied by the
Institut Amatller d’Art Hispanic.
The third house is Gaudí’s Casa
Batlló (1904–6). Its façade has
heavily tiled walls and curving
iron balconies pierced with holes
to look like masks or skulls. The
humpbacked, scaly-looking roof
is thought to represent a dragon,
with St George (the patron saint
of Catalonia) as a chimney.
2 Fundació Antoni
Tàpies
Carrer d’Aragó 255. Map 3 A4. Tel 93
487 03 15.  Passeig de Gràcia.
Open 10am–7pm Tue–Sun & public
hols. Closed 1 & 6 Jan, 25 Dec. &
7 = ∑ fundaciotapies.org
Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012)
was one of Spain’s foremost
Sumptuous interior of the Casa Lleó Morera, Illa de la Discòrdia contem porary artists. Inspired
by Surre alism, his abstract work
1 Illa de la Discòrdia Montaner. The ground floor was ex ecuted in a variety of
was gutted to create a shop materials, including concrete
Passeig de Gràcia, between Carrer
d’Aragó and Carrer del Consell de in 1943, but it is still possible to and metal (see p164). Only a
Cent. Map 3 A4.  Passeig de Gràcia. admire the Modernista façade. small part of the collection
Casa Lleó Morera: Closed to the At No. 41 is Casa Amatller, can be shown at one time,
public. ∑ casalleomorera.com designed by Puig i Cadafalch in and exhibits rotate regularly.
Casa Amatller: Tel 93 216 01 75. 1898. Its façade is a harmonious There are also excellent
Open 10am–6pm daily. Closed 2 blend of styles, featuring Moorish temporary exhibitions. All are
weeks in Jan, 25 & 26 Dec. 8 guided and Gothic windows. The housed in the first domestic
tours only (no high heels), book stepped gable roof is dotted building in Barcelona to be built
online. ∑ amatller.org Casa Batlló: with tiles. Inside the wrought- with iron (1880), designed by
Tel 93 216 03 06. Open 9am–9pm iron main doors is a fine stone Domènech i Montaner.
daily (last adm: 8pm). & 7
∑ casabatllo.es
Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926)
The most famous group of Born in Reus (Tarragona) into a family
Modernista (see pp144–5) of artisans, Gaudí was the leading
build ings in Barcelona amply exponent of Catalan Modernisme.
illus trates the range of styles Following a stint as a blacksmith’s
involved in the movement. apprentice, he studied at Barcelona’s
The block in which they stand School of Architecture. Inspired by
has been dubbed the Illa de a nationalistic search for a romantic
la Discòrdia, “Block of Discord”, medieval past, his work was
owing to the startling visual supremely original. His first major
achievement was the Casa Vicens
argument between them. (1888) at No. 24 Carrer de les Carolines.
The three most famous But his most celebrated buil ding is the
houses, on Passeig de extravagant church of the Sagrada
Gràcia, were remod elled from Família (see pp170–71), to which he
existing houses early in the devoted his life from 1914. He gave
20th century, but named after all his money to the project and often
their original owners. went from house to house begging
No. 35 is Casa Lleó Morera for more, until his death a few days Decorated chimneypot,
(1902–6), the first residential after being run over by a tram. Casa Vicens
work of Lluís Domènech i
Extraordinary sculptured and ceramic-encrusted chimneys of Gaudí’s La Pedrera

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm