History

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The Early Life of Antoni Gaudí

Park Güell and a Growing Career

Despite Rogent's discouraging words, Gaudí's career as an architect took off that very same year. At the Paris World's Fair of 1878, a showcase put together by Gaudí showed his flair for modernist design. It also caught the attention of Eusebi Güell, an industrialist who commissioned Gaudí for a series of projects. 

Many of the designs produced through Gaudí's sponsorship by Güell would become his most iconic works, still visited by millions of travelers in Barcelona every year. The Palau Güell, in the El Raval neighborhood, features intricate ironwork inspired by horsewhip and seaweed — an early testament to how much inspiration Gaudí would draw from the natural world for the entirety of his career. 

If you're visiting the Cantabria region on Spain's north coast, stop by the little village of Comillas, where you can visit El Capricho, a private residence designed around the movements of the sun. The rooms most likely to be occupied during certain times of day receive the most natural lights during those times — the breakfast room, for instance, receives bright morning sun. 

Most famous of all, though, is Park Güell, a designed community with incredible vistas of the city. Gaudí was tasked with designing new types of house all around ideals of what the ideal future community should be. The project, though, never got off the ground. Millions of visitors every year flock to Park Güell to visit the marvelous veranda and two model homes that remain of the endeavor.

The Sagrada Familia

Just a few years later, in 1883, Antoni Gaudí was charged with the task of building a new church in Barcelona called the Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family, or Sagrada Familia). This project would occupy the remainder of his career. 

In fact, beginning in 1915 until his death in 1926, Gaudí would dedicate all his efforts as an architect to the construction of this cathedral.

My greatest friends are dead, I have no family, nor clients, nor fortune, not anything — so I can dedicate myself completely to the temple.

—Antoni Gaudí, 1852–1926

Still, early in his career, he was receiving a large number of commissions, so he had to rely on a team of architects to help him. Many of these individuals, including Josep Maria Jujol and Cèsar Martinell, would themselves become esteemed in their field later on.

Gaudí completely redesigned the Sagrada Familia from the moment he was charged with the project. The structure features elements of Spanish Late Gothic, Art Nouveau, and Catalan modernism. Gaudí was particularly known for his pioneering of the latter style. Its four façades, though, boast strikingly different styles owing to the different architects tasted with designing them. 

Construction of the church was declared 70 percent complete in 2015. 

Antoni Gaudí and Modernism

Meanwhile, the 1888 World Fair in Barcelona featured key modernist works, including a showcase of a building by Gaudí.

However, during the first decade of the twentieth century, a shift in Gaudí's style became evident. His designs drew even more inspiration from nature, and between 1904 and 1910, the iconic Casa Milà and Casa Batlló were constructed. These remain popular — and very worthwhile — destinations for travelers to Barcelona.  

Gaudí also designed the furniture in many of his buildings, and these are on prominent display at the Casa Batlló. The house, like the furniture designed for it, contains not a single right angle, and forms from nature can be recognized throughout. 

Difficult Last Years

Antoni Gaudí never married, and is known to have been truly interested in only one woman, Josefa Moreu, in 1884, but this interest was not returned. 

He dedicated himself instead to his Catholic faith, and was seen sometimes as gruff or unpleasant, though his closest friends insisted he was friendly and pleasant. 

The decade beginning in 1910 was particularly difficult for Gaudí. His primary collaborator, Francesc Berenguer, as well as his niece, Rosa, died during this time. Two other close friends and collaborators, including Eusebi Güell, would also pass away. Meanwhile, economic troubles temporarily slowed work on the Sagrada Familia.

In his later years, Gaudí neglected his appearance and lived frugally to such a degree that many mistook him for a beggar. In fact, on June 7, 1926, Gaudí was on his daily walk to church when he was struck by a tram and knocked unconscious. Those around him believed he was a beggar, so did not help him right away. 

Gaudí died three days later at the age of 73. He was buried in a crypt under the Sagrada Familia. His gravestone reads: 

Antoni Gaudí Cornet. From Reus. At the age of 74, a man of exemplary life, and an extraordinary craftsman, the author of this marvelous work, the church, died piously in Barcelona on the tenth day of June 1926; henceforward the ashes of so great a man await the resurrection of the dead. May he rest in peace.

Antoni Gaudí remains one of Catalonia's most famous and distinctive architects. His buildings are one of a kind and well worth the long lines —though with a little pre-planning, you can buy tickets online and skip those lines. (Get Casa Batlló fast-track entry tickets here.)

Gaudí's influence has been profound and far-reaching, and has made a lasting and visible impact on the streets of Barcelona.

The Muslim Conquest of Spain

The Origins Of The Alhambra

Granada became home to the royal residence of the Nasrid Dynasty in the mid-13th century, and it was King Mohammed ibn Yusuf Ben Nasr, also known as Alhamar, who ordered the construction of the first palace on the site. Construction continued through the 15th century as defensive towers and high walls were built.

The Alhambra consists of two sections: one dedicated to military matters, including a barrack, and the royal palace. While it looks plain on the outside, the interior of the palace include elaborate decoration and tile work. Both plebeians and nobles lived within this area of the complex. 

Just a short walk away, one hill over, is the Generalife, a house built for the recreation of the caliphs who lived in the Alhambra. While its interior is more simply designed, the 13th-century palace is characterized by lush orchards and gardens. 

The Reconquista Reaches Granada

By the late 15th century, the Reconquista had retaken most territory on the Iberian Peninsula, and Granada — seat to a once–relatively unimportant caliphate — remained the last holdout of Muslim power. 

Beginning in 1482, the Catholic Monarchs — Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon — undertook a series of military campaigns against Granada. Meanwhile, infighting among the Granadan royals weakened their military strength. On January 2, 1492, King Boabdil surrendered the city — along with the Alhambra palace — to the Christian Monarchs, heralding the end of 800 years of Muslim rule in Spain. 

Charles V (1516–1556) undertook a project to rebuild parts of the Alhambra in Renaissance style, though much of his work would be left incomplete. Still, you can see his seal in some of the tilework during your visit.

Further modifications took place over the ensuing centuries, but eventually the elegant palace fell into disuse and disrepair. When American writer Washington Irving moved into the Alhambra in 1829, he would find a structure much reduced from its former glory. (Irving would author a fascinating book, Tales of the Alhambra, about his time there.)

The Alhambra Today & How to Visit

Restoration efforts at the Alhambra began with Rafael Contreras, who started work on the Nasrid palace in 1847. He also worked to revive historical techniques of working with plaster as he built an industry selling Nasrid-inspired art to tourists who were beginning to come visit the Alhambra. 

Reconstruction has continued and today, the Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by as many as two million people a year. 

It is highly recommended that you book your tickets ahead of time — at least a month in advance during the summer months — since it is almost impossible to buy a same-day ticket. 

Tours also come highly recommended. I've done two tours at the Alhambra and would highly recommend this option, as it helps you steer around the crowds and gain a lot of historical context as you go. Check out the Viator tours linked below (I really recommend their guides — they're always incredibly knowledgeable) or book a ticket here.