Torre Bellesguard
Gaudí with a neo-Gothic influence
In the Sant Gervasi district there is a Gaudí house built around a 15th-century tower owned by the last king of the Catalan dynasty. It is Torre Bellesguard, also known as Casa Figueres, where Gaudí combined Modernisme with the Catalan neo-Gothic style to design a house in the form of a castle.
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Why visit Torre Bellesguard?
Maria Sagués, the widow of Jaume Figueras, commissioned Antoni Gaudí to construct Torre Bellesguard, or Casa Figueres, a house in the Sant Gervasi district at the site of the remains of the 15th-century building known as Torre Vallblanc, which the last king of the Catalan dynasty, Martin the Humane, had used as the seat of his court until his death.
Gaudí took his inspiration from the medieval origins of the construction and used some of the remains of the old tower to build, from 1900 to 1909, a house in a combination of the Modernista and Catalan neo-Gothic styles with the external appearance of a castle and even a tower on the facade. Torre Bellesguard is where Gaudí tried out some of his most characteristic structural elements, including the attics with brick arches that he would later use at Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. The Catalan architect was also engaged to restore the remains of the medieval palace that formed part of the estate.
How do you get to Torre Bellesguard?
If you hop off at the Tramvia Blau – Tibidabo stop on the Blue Route of Barcelona Bus Turístic, you can take the Tramvia Blau and then stroll along Carrer d’Isaac Newton to Torre Bellesguard.
For the most curious of you
- Did you know? The house is still occupied by the family who bought it in 1944, which explains why there are some parts that are not open to the public.
- Local’s tip: If you visit Torre Bellesguard, it is also worth seeing the rainwater tank that was accidentally rediscovered in 2001. It is an impressive tank covering almost 600 m² that after being buried in the late 19th century has been restored and is now used as a multi-purpose space.
- A must: To discover a work by Gaudí in a different style, one dominated by straight lines.
