BARCELONA is an enchanting seaside metropolis with a rich culture, iconic architecture, and a world-class gastronomical scene that attracts people across Europe and the World. BARCELONA is well and truly “the Paris, the Vienna, the Prague, and the Budapest” of SPAIN, and the pride of the autonomous province of CATALUNYA. The people of Catalunya have a disparate language (Catalan), a different culture, and a novel cuisine comprising both seafood and meat, including their variation of the celebrated PAELLA (concocted with noodles instead of rice), which they are rightfully proud of!
If MALAGA and the COSTA DEL SOL in ANDALUCIA is laid back and even endearingly “rustic” given its coastal Spanish Riviera inspired milieu, BARCELONA is hip, happening, trendy, and upscale, with a decidedly palpable “urban vibe” that is infectious, fast-paced, and yet finds every opportunity to celebrate its very own interpretation of “LA DOLCE VITA”! SPAIN truly offers lessons in ‘living Life to the fullest” with joy and zest that we can all learn from!
Barcelona’s architectural treasures span 2000-plus years. Towering temple columns, ancient city walls and subterranean stone corridors provide a window into the Roman-era of conquest of Spain. Fast forward a thousand years to the Middle Ages by taking a stroll through the shadowy lanes of the Gothic quarter (photos below), past tranquil plazas and soaring 14th-century cathedrals. In other parts of town bloom the sculptural masterpieces of ‘MODERNISME’, a mix of ingenious and novel (even whimsical and eccentric) creations by ANTONI GAUDI and his Catalan architectural contemporaries. Barcelona has also long inspired artists, including SALVADOR DALI, PABLO PICASSO, and JOAN MIRO, whose works are celebrated in the city’s myriad museums.
If MALAGA is the “City of PICASSO”, then BARCELONA’s mind, heart, and soul belong to ANTONI GAUDI! GAUDI was an architect from Reus, Catalonia, and is the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism. GAUDI’s oeuvre have a novel and distinctive style that was his hallmark and distinguished him from his peers across Europe, and indeed across the World. Most of his celebrated creations are located in Barcelona, including his largest work, the church of the SAGRADA FAMILIA (see photos below). GAUDI’s work was influenced by his passions in life: architecture, nature, and religion. He considered every detail of his creations and integrated into his architecture elements like ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork forging and carpentry.
Gaudí’s genius enjoys global celebrity and has inspired research and emulation by architects across the World. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete SAGRADA FAMILIA, is the ‘most-visited monument in Spain’. Between 1984 and 2005, seven of his works were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Gaudí’s Roman Catholic faith intensified during his life and religious images appear in many of his works. This earned him the nickname “God’s Architect” and led to calls for his beatification.
I am delighted to share with you, my humble tribute to the fascinating metropolis of BARCELONA in CATALUNYA, and its celebrated prodigal son, ANTONI GAUDI thru my Vignettes – Enjoy!
Christopher Columbus standing at the center of Barcelona, pointing to….L’Etats Unies d”Amerique aka the US of A!👍
The alluring Flower Lady (La Dame Des Fleurs) with her beatific smile, added to the Magic of this special day!
The Port of Barcelona where cruise ships to the rest of Europe depart from, or bring visitors to.
The Barcelona Open Top Tourbus (hop on – hop off) is a great way to check out this magnificent metropolis!
Street Minstrels playing in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, with artifacts from the Roman rule from 2,000 years back, lend to the festivity and the celebration we were fortunate to experience on the last day of the Year!
Barcelona like Lisbon, Portugal, boasts of an eclectic array of architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Greco-Roman and Modernisme, making it one of the most visited cities in the World!
The Port of Barcelona as seen from the apex of the MONTJUIC!
Portrait with the Port of Barcelona as the backdrop!
The celebrated magnum-opus of ANTONI GAUDI, the SAGRADA FAMILIA, as seen from the apex of the MONTJUIC!
The iconic SAGRADA FAMILIA designed by Catalunya’s prodigal son ANTONI GAUDI, often regarded as the most magnificent cathedral anywhere in the world – I have provided relevant details below. BARCELONA is often referred to as ‘The City of GAUDI’ or ‘The City of the SAGRADA FAMILIA’, which was also celebrated in DAN BROWN’s recent novel, ‘ORIGIN’!
I have had the good fortune of having experienced the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Christianity’s Holiest Shrines: St. Peters in Vatican City, Rome, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, but nothing had prepared me for the surreal experience at the SAGRADA FAMILIA in BARCELONA – the Magnum Opei of its Prodigal son, ANTONI GAUDI!
Gaudí’s conception of the Sagrada Familia was based on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine cathedrals. His intention was to express Christian belief through the architecture and the beauty of the building and communicate the message of the Evangelists. He achieved a symbiosis between form and Christian iconography, with a personal architecture generated via new but thoroughly logical structures, forms and geometries inspired by nature, with light and colour also playing a central role.
The meaning of the Sagrada Familia is communicated through the form and expressivity of its architecture and the iconography of its sculpture.
The various architectural elements are imbued with hierarchically organised Christian symbolism. Thus, each of its 18 towers has a special significance. In the middle is the tower dedicated to Jesus Christ and around it are four towers representing the Gospels; the books containing the life and teachings of Jesus. The tower above the apse, crowned by a star, represents his mother the Virgin Mary, while the remaining 12 towers represent the 12 Apostles, witnesses to his words and deeds.
From wherever they are seen, once finished, these 18 towers will be an extraordinary sight and provide a sense of elevation to the central tower dedicated to Jesus Christ.
An unprecedented integration of completely disparate forms of sculpture which holistically appears completely congruent and in harmony, such is the genius of ANTONI GAUDI!
The NATIVITY FACADE of the SAGRADA FAMILIA is the unique part of the temple directly built by Gaudí.
When Gaudí died in 1926 only the tower of San Barnabas was totally finished and the other three very much advanced. This façade has been recently declared WORLD HERITAGE by the UNESCO.
It is formed as the other façades by four bell towers of square plant in its base, that comes to be a cylindrical structure when arrived at one fourth of their height. Further up, they come to a parabolic profile to become a pinnacle that crown each one of the towers.
The three spaces remaining among the edges, are take up by three entries forming the portico.
One of the newer towers of the Nativity Facade under construction! The Sagrada Familia is now slated to be completed by 2026!
The new Facade to celebrate Mother Mary under construction at the Sagrada Familia – its magnificence will leave you spellbound since it is likely you have never experienced any thing like this before!
Gaudí’s conception of the Sagrada Familia was based on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine cathedrals. His intention was to express Christian belief through the architecture and the beauty of the building and communicate the message of the Evangelists. He achieved a symbiosis between form and Christian iconography, with a personal architecture generated via new but thoroughly logical structures, forms and geometries inspired by nature, with light and colour also playing a central role.
The meaning of the Sagrada Familia is communicated through the form and expressivity of its architecture and the iconography of its sculpture.
The various architectural elements are imbued with hierarchically organised Christian symbolism. Thus, each of its 18 towers has a special significance. In the middle is the tower dedicated to Jesus Christ and around it are four towers representing the Gospels; the books containing the life and teachings of Jesus. The tower above the apse, crowned by a star, represents his mother the Virgin Mary, while the remaining 12 towers represent the 12 Apostles, witnesses to his words and deeds.
From wherever they are seen, once finished, these 18 towers will be an extraordinary sight and provide a sense of elevation to the central tower dedicated to Jesus Christ.
The PASSION FACADE of the SAGRADA FAMILIA has been recently built. This façade represents the passion and the death of Jesus. According with this function, it has an austere and extraordinarily naked appearance, with geometric edged forms.
The sobriety of the façade is visible also by the presence of bone shaped columns and the sober sculptures carried out by Josep Maria Subirachs adding drama to the already deliberately grim Gaudí design.
The interior of the SAGRADA FAMILIA represents unspeakable beauty and majesty and must be experienced for one’s self, and will likely remind you of a temple representing Mother Nature set in Stone, which is indeed surreal! This is the roof of the primary temple with a floral representation unlike anything I have seen before!
Exquisite stained glass windows lend a magical halo to this architectural marvel by the Maestro Antoni Gaudi!
The interplay of the architectural styles, materials used for the construction with a modernism format is like nothing we have ever seen, and left us spellbound and overwhelmed!
The sanctum sanctorum of the Sagrada Familia – Jesus on the Cross is actually suspended from the ceiling, also representing his ascension, aligned with the signature Modernisme of Antoni Gaudi!
Exquisite stained glass windows lend a magical halo to this architectural marvel by the Maestro Antoni Gaudi!
Three of the newest towers as part of the PASSION FACADE at the SAGRADA FAMILIA that have been recently completed!
If you have not experienced the TAPAS on the streets of BARCELONA, your experience is far from complete! We were lucky to have had some exceptional TAPAS both for lunch and dinner today! Here is the lunch place doing brisk business near the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona!
Park Guell is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDIi, who projected it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.
Park Guell is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDIi, who projected it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.PARK GUELL is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDI, who commenced
work on it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the
work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths
and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.
Park Guell is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDIi, who projected it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.PARK GUELL is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDI, who commenced
work on it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the
work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths
and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.
PARK GUELL is one of the masterpieces of the ANTONI GAUDI, who commenced work on it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This playful urban park, the work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.
CASA MILA, popularly known as ‘LA PEDRERA’ (the stone quarry), an ironic allusion to the resemblance of its façade to an open quarry, was constructed between 1906 and 1912 by Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). For its uniqueness, artistic and heritage value have received major recognition and in 1984 was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, for its exceptional universal value. This is arguably, GAUDIs best known work besides his Magnum Opus, the SAGRADA FAMILIA!
Manage
Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘LA PEDRERA’ (the stone quarry), an ironic allusion to the resemblance of its façade to an open quarry, was constructed between 1906 and 1912 by Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). For its uniqueness, artistic and heritage value have received major recognition and in 1984 was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, for its exceptional universal value. This is arguably, GAUDIs best known work besides his Magnum Opus, the SAGRADA FAMILIA!
Manage
The imposing interior of the LA PEDRERA by ANTONI GAUDI, was at one time, the most expensive apartments your money could buy in Barcelona!
Another perspective on the CASA MILO by ANTONI GAUDI – like nothing most of us have ever seen!
GAUDI’s attention to detail is mind boggling, especially since he was juggling multiple high involvement projects with the SAGRADA FAMILIA all at the same time! This is the rooftop of the LA PEDRERA, aligned with the Modernism architecture of the structure!
ANTONI GAUDI, although trained as an Architect was also a Designer parr excellence! Here are examples of Ergonomic Furniture designed by the Maestro over a 100 years back, which is commendable indeed! This is part of the GAUDI MUSEUM at the penthouse of the Casa Mila which is prominently featured in ‘ORIGIN’ by DAN BROWN!
Given the last day of the year, the TAPAS BAR had these musicians playing popular tunes of Celebration which added to the Magic of our experience!
CASA BAIO with the Facade designed by ANTONI GAUDI to his signature MODERNISME, is a huge tourist attraction in Barcelona! We stayed here admiring his visionary designs for over 20 minutes!
BARCELONA mesmerizes your senses with the variety, the creativity, the majesty, and the elegance of its architectural styles, which makes this novel and unique anywhere in the World!
CASA BAIO with the Facade designed by ANTONI GAUDI to his signature MODERNISME, is a huge tourist attraction in Barcelona! We stayed here admiring his visionary designs for over 20 minutes!
BARCELONA mesmerizes your senses with the variety, the creativity, the majesty, and the elegance of its architectural styles, which makes this novel and unique anywhere in the World!
CASA BAIO with the Facade designed by ANTONI GAUDI to his signature MODERNISME, is a huge tourist attraction in Barcelona! We stayed here admiring his visionary designs for over 20 minutes!
BARCELONA mesmerizes your senses with the variety, the creativity, the majesty, and the elegance of its architectural styles, which makes this novel and unique anywhere in the World!
CASA BAIO with the Facade designed by ANTONI GAUDI to his signature MODERNISME, is a huge tourist attraction in Barcelona! We stayed here admiring his visionary designs for over 20 minutes!
BARCELONA mesmerizes your senses with the variety, the creativity, the majesty, and the elegance of its architectural styles, which makes this novel and unique anywhere in the World!
The alluring Flower Lady (“La Dame Des Fleurs”) offering her flowers and posing for clicks, for a fee, at the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, that dates back to the Romans almost 2,000 years ago! Her presence lent an aura of color and vibrance to the festive spirit!
Chanced upon this ‘Ceramic Hat’ which appeared to be a worthy tribute to BARCELONA and her prodigal son ANTONI GAUDI Viva L’Espana!
Chanced upon this ‘Ceramic Hat’ which appeared to be a worthy tribute to BARCELONA and her prodigal son ANTONI GAUDI Viva L’Espana!
Chanced upon this ‘Ceramic Hat’ which appeared to be a worthy tribute to BARCELONA and her prodigal son ANTONI GAUDI Viva L’Espana!