Hello friends. You are probably already accustomed to the fact that we tell you about interesting sights, cities, and those places on our planet that you simply cannot help but visit. This time we want to talk about Antonio Gaudi. Let's try to do without enthusiastic epithets - all of them have been said about this architect more than once. Let’s just note: without this man there would not have been the Barcelona, Spain, and even the history of world architecture that we are familiar with. Go.
Antonio Placid Guilhem Gaudí i Cornet was born in 1852 in Catalonia, in the small town of Reus. He was the youngest child in big family boilermaker Francesc Gaudí i Serra and his wife.
It was thanks to his father’s workshop, as Antonio himself later said, that his biography as an architect began.
His brothers and sister died, and his mother later died. This is how Gaudi’s niece ended up in his care. The three of them, together with their father, settled in Barcelona.
In 1906, his father died; by that time his health was already seriously compromised, and six years later his niece died.
A star is born
By 1878, Gaudí graduated from the school of architecture. After which he began to work as a draftsman, did a lot of auxiliary work, and unsuccessfully took part in various competitions.
What was happening around? And all around there was excitement associated with the neo-Gothic style. The idea and the very forms of this direction certainly delighted Gaudi. But he drew inspiration for his projects from the works of Viollet-le-Duc, the Spanish architect Martorel and art critic John Ruskin.
Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc - French architect, restorer, art critic and architectural historian, neo-Gothic ideologist, founder of architectural restoration. Wikipedia
A turning point in the work of Antoni Gaudi was his acquaintance with Eusebi Güell, who would later become his friend.
One of the richest people in Catalonia, Guell could afford to play around a little, making his wildest dreams come true. Well, in this case Gaudi received complete freedom of expression.
For the Güell family, Antonio created designs for the city palace, the pavilions of their estate, wine cellars, a crypt, a chapel, as well as the one known to everyone.
Bench in Park Guell
Don’t forget about the wonderful examples of furniture that the designer Gaudi came up with and embodied in the houses of Güell.
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Gradually, Gaudi went beyond the framework of the then dominant styles, completely immersed himself deep into his own universe of curved surfaces and natural ornaments. And with the completion of construction at the age of 34, the architect had already become a star, whose work not everyone could afford.
For the rich people of Barcelona, he built incredibly different houses - , . They all seemed to live their own bizarre lives, incomprehensible to outsiders.
Interior of Casa Mila
Love, friends, death
The genius devoted all his time to work. They say that he loved only one woman in his life - the teacher Joseph Moreau. But she did not reciprocate. In general, it is believed that the architect was a rather arrogant and rude person. Although people close to me said the opposite.
In his youth, Antonio dressed like a dandy, was a gourmet, and was well versed in the performing arts. In adulthood, he completely stopped taking care of himself. Often on the streets he was mistaken for a tramp.
The latter fact became, alas, fatal for the architect. On June 7, 1926, Gaudí went to church. At the next intersection he was hit by a tram. The cab driver refused to take the unkempt old man, fearing that he would not be paid for the journey.
In the end, the masters were taken to the doorstep of a hospital for the poor, where they received absolutely primitive first aid. The next day, Gaudi was found by friends, but it was no longer possible to save him. He died on June 10 and was buried in the Sagrada Familia a few days later.
Interior of the Sagrada Familia
It is interesting that in recent decades there has been a program to canonize Gaudi as a saint, the patron saint of architects.
Architecture
The life of the architect was fruitful and colorful. Bright, like its architecture. Many people believe that Gaudi created in the Art Nouveau style. However, in fact, his houses noticeably go beyond the boundaries of one style.
We have already mentioned the most famous works architect. Let's remember a few more.
One of his first works was the Vincennes House, a private residential building that Gaudí built almost immediately after receiving his diploma. And its architecture clearly shows the influence of the Spanish-Arab Mudejar style.
House Vincennes
The master's next creation was the summer mansion El Capriccio in the town of Comillas.
Construction was carried out by order of a relative of Güell. And Gaudi himself never even visited the construction site. This building is known primarily for its constructivist feature - the horizontal distribution of space.
In the territory of León stands another ode to the Gothic, created by Antonio - the Botines House. This seven-level building is practically devoid of external decor. The austere appearance is set off only by the artistic forging of the grille.
But let's go back to Barcelona. Yet this is where most of the great architect’s creations are located.
House Calvet – another one a private house, built by Gaudi.
It was built as an apartment building. Here you will no longer see even a hint of Gothic. The design of the building is quite ascetic, which harmonizes well with other buildings in the area.
But take a closer look and you will see a lot of important little things: knockers on the front doors represent bedbugs, textile bobbins at the entrance remind of the owner’s profession, floral ornaments hint at the hobbies of the owners of the house.
And, of course, the symbol of Barcelona, and maybe the whole country - the Sagrada Familia or the Sagrada Familia.
This is probably the most famous long-term construction. Various architects have worked and are working on its creation. One of them was Gaudi. It was his work that formed the basis for the appearance of the building.
Gaudi made his contribution to the field of landscape architecture and small forms. These include:
- Artigas gardens
- lanterns of Barcelona's Royal Square
- Mirallas Gate and many others.
Repeatedly he worked together with other masters.
This was the life and work of a genius who changed our understanding of architecture.
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Antonio Gaudi: the most mysterious architect in history who worked miracles
We often hear about brilliant musicians, writers, and poets. When applied to architecture, the word “brilliant” is used much less frequently. Perhaps because it is much more difficult to realize such a talent than any other. All the more valuable to history is anyone who managed to replenish the architectural heritage of mankind with creations of unique beauty. The brightest and most mysterious among such geniuses is the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi - the creator of the legendary Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Palace Guell, Casa Batllo and other unique masterpieces that adorn Barcelona today, making it a truly unique city.
Antonio Gaudi was born in Catalonia in 1852 in the family of the blacksmith Francisco Gaudi i Serra and his wife Antonia Curnet i Bertrand. In the family he was the youngest of five children. After the death of Antonio's mother, two brothers and sister, he settled in Barcelona with his father and niece. Since childhood, Gaudí was very sick; rheumatism prevented him from playing with other children. Instead, he took long walks alone, which he eventually grew to love. It was they who helped him become closer to nature, which throughout his subsequent life inspired the architect to solve the most incredible constructive and artistic problems.
The brilliant architect Antonio Gaudi.
While studying at Catholic college, Antonio was most interested in geometry and drawing. In his free time, he spent time exploring local monasteries. Already in those years, teachers admired the works of the young artist Gaudi. And he said with complete seriousness that his talent was God’s gift. In the process of creating his creations, he often turned to the theme of God, and did not deviate from it even when choosing the artistic aspects of his work. For example, he did not like straight lines, calling them a product of man. But Gaudi adored circles and was convinced of their divine origin. These principles can be clearly seen in all his 18 architectural creations, which today are the pride of Barcelona. They are characterized by a bold combination of materials, textures and colors. Gaudi used his own unsupported floor system, which made it possible not to “cut” the rooms into parts. Repeating his calculations became possible only after NASA created flight trajectory calculations spaceships.
The architect’s first buildings were “House of Vicens”, “El Capriccio”, “Pavilion of the Güell Estate”. They differ significantly from each other, however, they are all decorated with a large number of decorative details in the neo-Gothic style.
"Pavilion of the Guell estate."
In general, the architectural style of Antoni Gaudi is phantasmagorical, difficult to define, although the architect was called a genius of modernism. Gaudi was the most prominent representative of his national romantic movement, Catalan modernism. Incredibly, he was not helped by design engineers, he acted on instinct, relying only on his sense of harmony, often improvised and tried to convey his idea to his assistants using drawings on the board. His architectural creations have everything: bizarre structural forms, sculptures, paintings, mosaics, color plastics. They contain people and animals, fantastic creatures, trees, flowers.
Casa Batllo.
Antonio was very handsome, however, in his personal life he was lonely. Of course, he had affairs, but none of them ended in marriage or any kind of serious relationship. In essence, he was married to his creations. Antonio was a quite wealthy man and had the opportunity to rent any housing, but while working on the next project he invariably lived right at the construction site, equipping a small closet for himself, and wore old overalls.
Gaudí's architecture makes Barcelona unique.
This was the case during his work on his favorite and, perhaps, most grandiose creation - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, the construction of which he never had the opportunity to complete. It began in 1882, when Gaudí was 30 years old, and has not been completed to this day. The architect devoted 40 years of his life to this project. And on June 7, 1926, Gaudi left the construction site and disappeared. On the same day, on one of the streets of Barcelona, a poor man was run over by a tram. Only a few days later he was identified as the greatest architect Antonio Gaudi. He found his last refuge in one of the chapels of the Sagrada Familia.
Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia.
During Gaudi's funeral procession, in which probably half the city took part, a mystical thing happened. Many townspeople, among whom were very respected people, claimed that they saw ghosts in the crowd of people who came to say goodbye to the genius. For example, Salvador Dali spoke about this.
In the Sagrada Familia cathedral.
Today, this mystery, which once excited Barcelona, has already become history and the subject of excursions. But there are still people who believe: if you repeat the route exactly last path Gaudi, you can get a piece of his incredible talent. And we can simply be grateful to the genius for his selfless devotion to art and love for the people to whom he left a priceless architectural heritage.
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The architect Gaudi was born in 1852, on June 25. He died in 1926, on June 10. Antonio Gaudi was born in the city of Reus, into a peasant family. This city is located 150 km from Barcelona. The child was baptized in Reus, in St. Peter's Basilica, the very next day. The future architect Gaudi was named after Antonia, his mother. His works and brief biographical information will be presented in this article.
Antonio is stronger than death
The parents were afraid that the child would not survive. His mother's pregnancy was difficult, and the birth was difficult. Shortly before Antonio was born, his parents had already mourned their two babies. For some reason, all the children in this family died very early. The boy once overheard a conversation with his parents' doctor as a child. He predicted Antonio's imminent inevitable death. However, Antonio Gaudi decided to survive. And he succeeded, although he was plagued by illness all his life. At 30, he looked twice as old as his peers; at fifty, he looked like a decrepit old man. Antonio knew that he was alive for a reason.
Childhood of Antonio Gaudi
The boy's father and grandfather were blacksmiths. One of his mother’s grandfathers was a cooper, the other a sailor. This explains Antonio's ability to feel and think in three dimensions. As a child, he could spend hours watching water flow and clouds float. Antonio was interested in how the leaves form a crown, how a flower is structured, how water grinds a stone, why a tree does not fall under gusts of wind. Then he was attracted to his father's workshop. Miracles were performed in it every day: shiny vessels were made from flat copper sheets. Antonio attended the school, which was converted from a Catholic college, from 1863 to 1868. He was not a good student. Geometry is the only thing he was noted for. Antonio's favorite pastime was drawing. He loved to explore the dilapidated surrounding monasteries with his friends.
Gaudi in his youth
In 1878, Gaudi graduated from the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona.
In his younger years, Antonio was a dandy and a dandy, a lover of black silk top hats and kid gloves. He had red hair and blue eyes. Many ladies fell in love with Gaudi, but he remained lonely. He was courting for a long time for Pepeta Moreu, a teacher, but she refused the marriage proposal because she was already engaged. Then Gaudi dated an American woman for a short time, but she returned to her homeland and their paths diverged. Antonio saw this as a sign of fate: he must be alone. This is a sacrifice for a higher purpose.
Traces of Gaudi in Reus
It is useless to look for traces of Gaudi in Reus today. You will find only the same type of signs nailed to office buildings, indicating that a house once stood in this place... Unless the atmosphere of this ancient city deserves attention: magnificent baroque mansions, Gothic Sant Pere with its 40-meter bell tower . The master managed to almost exactly reproduce the bell towers in the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. The photo below shows the house in which the Gaudí family lived in Reus.
Gaudi's creations
The author of eighteen structures is the architect Gaudi. All of them were made in Spain: 14 in their native Catalonia, 12 of them in Barcelona. A trail of legends and myths trails behind each of these creations. His houses are puzzles. It seems impossible to unravel their hidden meaning.
Many architectural objects of the city of Barcelona were created by Gaudi. There are not many architects in the world who have had such a significant impact on the appearance of a city or created something so significant for their culture. Gaudí is best known for his work marking the heyday of Art Nouveau in this country. Feature Gaudi's style is that natural, organic forms (animals, rocks, trees, clouds) became the sources of this author's architectural fantasies. Antonio did not like geometrically regular and closed spaces. He believed that the straight line is the product of man. But the circle is the creation of God. Antonio Gaudi declared war on the straight line, forming his own style, which is easily recognized even by people far from architecture.
Gaudi and municipal authorities
Antonio's career began with a scandal. The 26-year-old architect Gaudi demanded a fee, which, according to the Barcelona authorities, was too high. And today the Royal Square is decorated with winged helmets of Mercury and monumental lanterns designed by the novice architect. Gaudí's first municipal order turned out to be his last. Never again did the Barcelona authorities offer any work to this master.
Casa Calvet
Only 20 years later, the architect Gaudi received the only official award in his biography - the city prize for the facade of the mansion, which he completed for the Calvet family, textile magnates. The work was done not without a twist, but Casa Calvet, rather discreet, is Antoni Gaudi's most unassuming project.
Casa Vicens
The master was trusted by private clients. Gaudi (architect) and his houses earned recognition from his contemporaries. Don Montaner, a manufacturer, ordered him a summer house in 1883. The architect Antonio Gaudi, examining for the first time the site of the future construction, at that time still a suburb, discovered a surrounded yellow flowers huge palm tree. He preserved both vegetation and wood. Palm leaves form a lattice pattern, and flowers can be seen on the facing tiles. They say that by paying for Antoni Gaudi's fantasies, the customer almost went bankrupt. Today Casa Vicens is a small palace, as if from an oriental fairy tale. It is closely pressed by neighboring houses. From the nearest street, only the turret catches the eye. The thick blinds are down; you can’t go inside, because it’s private property.
The extravagant debut made a strong impression on the Barcelona team. Gaudí, most importantly, had a patron named Don Eusebio Güell. This man had impeccable taste. He liked risky experiments. Guel did not impose his opinion; he signed the estimates without looking. The architect Antonio Gaudi gradually became the family architect and friend of the Güells.
Palace Guell
Eusebio had long dreamed of a practical, beautiful house. Gaudi masterfully coped with this task. The architect squeezed into a narrow space (only 18 by 22 meters) a beautiful mansion that simultaneously resembles a Venetian palazzo and a mosque. Luxurious interiors were hidden behind the gray marble facade of this building. No expense was spared on the finishing: rosewood, ebony, ivory, tortoiseshell. One of the rooms is lined with beech, the other with eucalyptus. The carved ceilings with leaves are made of silver and gold. It was here that Gaudi first turned the roof with ventilation pipes and chimneys into a garden of standing stones.
Park Guell
Gaudi and Guell dreamed of turning it into a garden. They wanted the private villas located here to be surrounded by greenery. Around the perimeter of the estates there were aqueducts, grottoes, fountains, gazebos, paths, and alleys. The project was a commercial failure. Only 2 plots out of 60 were sold. Wealthy people did not want to live so far from the city limits. Today's Barcelonans would certainly approve of the choice of location.
The layout of the park resembles a compressed spring. Steep stairs and winding paths rise like a serpentine to the top from the foot. Park Güell is now not only a joy for the eyes and soul, but also a pleasure for the lungs: it has risen above the level of smog. Fresh air and palm groves are so necessary for city residents today! A pool with a dragon and a snake is the children's favorite pastime. And whoever decides to reach the top will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the sea and Barcelona.
Sitting on a snake bench became a favorite ritual. According to the contractor's recollections, Gaudí ordered the workers to take off all their clothes and sit as comfortably as possible on a fresh layer of mortar in order to obtain the perfect shape of the seat. Only at first does the running pattern of multi-colored shiny ceramics seem random. A series of numbers, composite pictures, mysterious drawings, encrypted messages, mysterious signs, magical formulas are scattered along the entire length of the bench. There are many stories about how people sitting on it suddenly began to distinguish dates, names, words of prayers, inscriptions...
Gaudí's later life
Even at the age of 50, the architect does not betray his loneliness and becomes more religious. Antonio moves to Park Güell from the center of Barcelona, away from the bustle of the city. People fear and respect the master. He is closed, eccentric, harsh. Nothing remains of Gaudí's former panache. The main thing is comfort: a shapeless suit, custom-made shoes made from squash roots. Gaudi observes all fasts. His food is raw vegetables, nuts, olive oil, bread with honey and spring water.
He declared at the height of his career that from now on he would work only on religious orders. And if a secular project is proposed, he will first ask permission for this work from the Madonna of Montserrat.
Casa Batlo
In the fall of 1904, Gaudí undertook to rebuild the mansion of Casanovas, a textile magnate. It’s not for nothing that the block in which the house was located was nicknamed “the apple of discord.” On one spot along Gracia Street, the buildings of the most famous architects of Catalonia stand, huddled closely together - a kind of parade of ambitions and claims. It is best to come here in the morning, when the sun's rays fall on the façade and it, covered with “fish scales,” shimmers with all sorts of colors. There are no corners, no edges, no straight lines. The walls are curved as if the unknown sea monster plays under the skin-lining with its muscles. The townspeople called Casa Batlo the House of Bones. There is something in this: the skull balconies and bone columns are the remains of the victims of a huge dragon. However, they have already been avenged - the tower with the cross rises above the roof. It was Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, who raised his sword in victory. The spine of a fallen dragon is the jagged, curved ridge of the roof.
Casa Mila
A ten minute walk from this building will take you to Casa Mila. Once again Gaudí broke his vow: he began to design an apartment building big house with all the amenities: garages, the Architect even planned to make a ramp so that residents could reach the apartment doors directly by car. This stern mass compared to Casa Batlo grows straight out of the ground, like a mighty old baobab tree, or a lava-flowing volcano, or weathered rocks, or the wreck of a lost ship...
And Barcelona residents awarded this building with many nicknames - “a nursery for snakes”, “an earthquake victim”, “a train accident”, etc. “La Pedrera” (translated as a quarry) stuck with it. On the roof there are arches, stairs, descents, ascents. And now you can rent an apartment in La Pedrera. The apartments are cozy and comfortable, but you will have to endure the endless streams of tourists.
Over half a century of work, the architect Gaudi completed 75 orders. Photos of some of his works are presented in this article. As is often the case in architecture, some of them did not get beyond the sketch, but they were the sketches of a genius. One of them is a grandiose hotel project in New York - a 300-meter “hotel temple”, which was completed by the great architect Gaudi.
Sagrada Familia Cathedral
Casa Mila is the last major commission executed by Gaudí. Its only goal since 1910 has been the Sagrada Familia, otherwise known as the Sagrada Familia. Antonio was even buried here, in a small underground chapel.
Like the entire life lived by the architect Antoni Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia is full of obvious and hidden signs. 12 towers are dedicated to the apostles. The symbol of the Savior’s sacrifice is the central one, with a cross. The interior decoration is a garden: the columns are the trunks of plane trees, the interlocking crowns of which form a dome. The stars are visible through it at night. The building was designed in such a way that the bells would sound in it, like a grandiose organ, and the wind would sing, passing through the openings in the towers, like a real choir. There are benches for 30 thousand worshipers.
Work on the construction of the temple began in 1882. They were first led by the architects De Villar and Martorell. The architect Gaudi began designing and creating the Sagrada Familia in 1891. He kept the plan of his predecessors, but made some changes.
The temple, according to Gaudi, was supposed to become an allegory of the Nativity of Christ, which is represented by three facades. The eastern one is dedicated to Christmas, the southern one is dedicated to the Resurrection, and the western one is dedicated to the Passion of Christ.
Temple sculpture
The towers and portals of the temple are decorated with abundant sculpture. Real prototypes have all the characters depicted on the Nativity facade: the grandson of the worker - baby Jesus, the alcoholic watchman - Judas, the fat goatherd - Pontius Pilate, the handsome plasterer - King David. A local junk dealer borrowed a donkey. Gaudi visited the anatomical theater, removed plaster casts from stillborn children for the scene of the beating of infants. Every sculpture, every stone was raised and lowered dozens of times before being installed in its proper place.
All the time, the architect Gaudi, whose biography is briefly described, was painfully thinking about something, redoing it, making models, drawing. Therefore, it is not surprising that the process took so long. In 1886, the master confidently declared that he would complete the cathedral in 10 years, but subsequently more and more often compared his brainchild with the temples of the Middle Ages, which were built over centuries.
The style of the temple vaguely resembles Gothic. However, this is at the same time something completely new. The building is designed for a choir of 1,500 singers, as well as a children's choir (700 people). The temple was to become the center of Catholicism. Pope Leon XIII supported the construction from the very beginning.
Work done by Gaudí
Despite the fact that work on the project took place over 35 years, Gaudi was only able to complete the Nativity façade and the 4 towers above it. Still not completed West Side the apse, which makes up the majority of the building. Construction continues today, more than 70 years after the death of Antoni Gaudi. The spiers are gradually being erected (only one was completed during Antonio’s lifetime), the facades are being decorated with images of the evangelists and apostles, scenes of the death and ascetic life of the Savior. It is planned to complete the work by approximately 2030.
Death of Antonio Gaudi
In 1926, on June 7, the architect Antonio Gaudi, whose biography was briefly described, in the evening, at 17:30, left the Sagrada Familia and went to evening confession as usual. On this day the first tram was launched in Barcelona. Gaudi fell under him. The driver of the tram that hit him later said that he hit a drunken tramp. Gaudi had no documents; a handful of nuts and a Gospel were found in his pockets. He died in a homeless shelter three days later and was to be buried with others in a common grave. It was only by chance that the elderly woman recognized him. The photo below shows Gaudí's funeral, which took place on June 12.
Memory
2002 was declared the year of Gaudi. The architect Antonio Gaudi and his creations are of great interest today.
For more than 10 years, a campaign has been ongoing to support the canonization of this man. is expected to sign the document of beatification in 2015, which will be the third of four stages of canonization. It is planned that Antonio will become the patron saint of architects. Undoubtedly, Antonio Gaudi deserved it. Even great architects could follow his example. Gaudí is an example of spirituality and genius combined in his personality.
While studying at school, Gaudi showed artistic talent. He paints the backstage of the school theater. And in 1867, the school weekly “El Harlequin,” published in a circulation of only 12 copies, published several drawings of the genius. In 1968, the architect graduated from school.
From 1869 to 1874, Gaudí moved to Barcelona and took architectural preparatory courses at the University of Barcelona at the Faculty of Natural Sciences.
Learning and becoming
In 1870, the restoration of the Poblet monastery, which Gaudi dreamed of, is planned. The architect develops a sketch of the coat of arms for the rector.
In 1873, Gaudí entered the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona. In 1876, the architect's elder brother and mother died. By the time he graduated from the school of architecture in 1877, a huge number of sketches and projects had been created: a pier for ships, the Central Hospital of Barcelona, the cemetery gates.
Until 1882, while Gaudí worked as a draftsman under the supervision of Francisco Villar and Emilio Sala, he studied crafts, created furniture for his own home and did other small work. During this time, participation in competitions did not bring results.
In 1878, Gaudí was finally noticed, and he received his first public commission - Street light Barcelona. Already in 1879 the project was implemented.
Gaudi pays attention to the study of old architectural monuments in the vicinity of Barcelona. The architect attends excursions with the Catalan “Excursion Center,” members of the Catalan Association of Architects. At this time, the first major order for the construction of a mansion was received from Manuel Vicens y Montaner.
In 1879, Gaudi's sister, Rosita Gaudi de Egea, died, leaving behind a daughter. The architect takes his niece to live in Barcelona. He himself was never married, and, according to contemporaries, due to his unsuccessful personal life in his old age, he became a misogynist. The master had no children.
Recognition and the most significant buildings
In 1881, Gaudí's only journalistic work was published in the newspaper La Renaixenca; it was dedicated to an exhibition of applied art. The project for Obrera Mataronense, a workers' settlement, has been completed and is being printed at the Hepus printing house.
IN late XIX century, the neo-Gothic style flourished in Europe, and the architect became delighted with new ideas. Strong influence The handwriting was influenced by the work of Viollet-le-Duc, who restored Notre-Dame de Paris, and the English art critic John Ruskin.
With no less interest, Gaudí studied the architecture of Barcelona, especially the neo-Gothic works of Joan Martorell. They met in 1882; the genius remained under the influence of the famous Spaniard for a long time. It was under the patronage of Martorell that Antonio Gaudi was approved in 1883 (November 3) as the architect of the Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família), after the departure of Francisco del Villar. In parallel with this, the first project for Güell is being developed - the Hunting Pavilion near Sitges.
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In 1884-1887, Gaudí designed and implemented the equestrian yard and entrance gate to Les Corts, Güell's estate. The order has for real great importance and the results only confirm the industrialist's desire to cooperate.
Convinced of Gaudi's talent, in 1886 Guell ordered him to build the Palace in Barcelona. It is the Güell Palace (Palau Güell) that brings the master fame among the bourgeoisie. He transforms from an ordinary builder into a fashionable architect, who has become a symbol of “unaffordable luxury.” Playing with space, behaving like living matter, impressed the customer. During the construction period, Gaudi traveled through Andalusia and then Morocco in the retinue of the Margrave of Comillas. Work on the Palais Güell was completed in 1889.
From 1887 to 1893, the master was involved in the construction of the Bishop's Palace in the neo-Gothic style in the city of Astorg in Castile. But the building remained unfinished until 1915, since the architect, due to disagreements with the chapter, refused to lead the project in 1893.
In parallel, in 1888-1889, Gaudi worked with the Gothic-fortress project of the monastery School of St. Theresa in Barcelona. Around the same period, from 1891 to 1892, the Casa Botines in León was built under his leadership.
Finding time between visits to the construction site, the architect manages to visit Tangier and Malaga to get acquainted with the site where construction was to be carried out for the Franciscan Mission. But the project remained unfulfilled.
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Contemporaries note that Gaudi was a devout Catholic and strictly observed fasting. It was this reason, coupled with poor health, that caused a serious deterioration in my general condition. The recovery process was difficult and greatly affected the architect's inner world.
From 1895 to 1901, Gaudí built many buildings for Eusebio Güell. For a long time, his involvement in the outbuildings and wine cellars in Garraf remained unknown. It was believed that only his friend Francesc Berenguer i Mestres worked on them.
In 1898, Gaudí created a design for the Church of Colonia Güell, but built only the staircase complex and the Crypt. The building stood unfinished for a long time, and was completed only in 1917. At the same time, in 1898, the Calvet House (Casa Calvet) was built in a pseudo-baroque style for the industrialist Pere Martir Calvet i Carbonell. The house was completed in 1900 and received a municipal prize as the best building of the year. This award was the only one during Gaudí's lifetime.
The year 1900 was significant for the architect, and he designed a sculptural ensemble for the Catalan shrine - the Monastery of Montserrat. The hand of the master is visible in the design of the altar chapel.
Still in 1900, an order was received from Maria Sages to build a country house on the site of the royal residence of Marty I. An unusual solution was chosen for the project - a medieval castle. Since construction was carried out on the shore Mediterranean Sea and at the top of the hill, the house was named "Bellesguard", which translates as "beautiful view". The work was completed in 1909. At first glance, the building seems very simple, but in fact Gaudi combined the surrounding landscape and a dead structure in it. The mixture of Mudejar and neo-Gothic echoes the House of Vicens and El Capriccio.
The year 1900 was truly eventful. Güell ordered Gaudi to create a huge park in Gràcia, which at that time was a suburb of Barcelona. According to the industrialist, it was supposed to be an English park, an outlet from industrialization, and at the same time a spontaneous romantic garden. The architect himself and his niece subsequently settled on one of the plots. The grandiose work on Park Güell was completed in 1914, along with the design of the area at the main entrance, alleys and large terrace. However, it was not possible to realize Güell's large-scale plan to build a new green residential area.
Gaudi simultaneously worked on several projects at once. So, in 1901, an order was received from the manufacturer Miralles to design the walls of the estate and the entrance gate. From 1903 to 1914, the architect led the reconstruction of the cathedral in Palma de Mallorca and created its interior.
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As mentioned earlier, the architect moved to one of the houses in Park Güell in 1906, but not because of vanity, the master was very modest, but because of his father’s illness. Yet on October 29, 1906, Gaudí’s father dies.
From 1906 to 1910, work was carried out on the Casa Milà, another unusual project. The architect wanted to build a house similar to a living creature, in which the space would not be static, but would develop and be reborn. Gaudi's plan was quite a success, although it was received with hostility by his contemporaries.
The fame of the Catalan architect went far beyond the country. In 1908, an order was received from New York for the construction of a hotel. But the work ended at the stage of drawing sketches offering a bold and extraordinary solution. At the same time, Gaudi was designing a chapel at the School of St. Theresa, but the leadership educational institution rejected the project. Also in 1908, construction of the Crypt of Colonia Güell in Santa Coloma was resumed.
All this time, starting in 1882, the construction of the Sagrada Familia has been going on. In 1909, the master decided to create a temporary school for the children of the temple parishioners. A feature of the structure was the abundance of curvilinear forms and the absence of partitions.
In 1910, under the auspices of the National Society of Fine Arts, the only major lifetime exhibition in Paris was held, at which Gaudí's various projects were presented.
In 1912, the architect's niece, Rosa Egea i Gaudi, died in poor health; she was 36 years old. In 1914, a close friend and ally, Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, died. After a break, construction of the Sagrada Familia resumed.
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One of the greatest architects in the world and the most famous architect of Barcelona, Gaudi could have died at birth. His mother’s birth was very difficult, and the midwife immediately gave up on the boy. To save the soul of the newborn, he was immediately baptized. Gaudí subsequently claimed that the fact that he survived was a miracle. And he believed that he had been chosen for a special purpose.
Childhood
Antonio Gaudi was born on June 25, 1852 in the small town of Reus, located in Catalonia. His father was the hereditary blacksmith Francesc Gaudi i Sierra, and his mother, after whom the boy was named, was Antonia Cornet i Bertrand. The child received his surname, as was customary in Spain, from both parents - Gaudi y Cornet.
The father taught the child to understand the beauty of the things around him, instilled in Gaudí a love for architecture and fine arts. From his mother he adopted faith in God and religiosity.
The boy grew up very sickly: he suffered from a severe form of arthritis, which caused severe pain from the simplest movements. He did not play outdoor games and rarely went for walks. It was difficult for him to walk, so he went for a walk on a donkey. But in mental development he was significantly ahead of many other children. Antonio was observant and liked to draw.
In 1863, he began studying at a school at a Franciscan monastery. In addition to Greek, poetry, rhetoric and Latin, he studied Christian doctrine, the history of religion and other religious disciplines, which influenced his way of thinking and creativity. Despite his intelligence, Antonio did poorly in school, and only geometry was easy for him.
Gaudi's family experienced many tragedies: his brother died in 1876. Following him, his mother also passed away. And 3 years later, the architect’s sister passed away, leaving her daughter in his care.
Studies
In 1868 Antonio moved to Barcelona. To pay for his education, he had to sell his father's lands. Student High school it became an architecture only in 1874. Before this, Gaudi studied at the university at the Faculty of Exact Sciences, where he showed little diligence.
The school of architecture allowed more freedom for creativity and self-expression, and Gaudí soon became one of best students. But his stubborn character and desire for protests often turned into low marks for him. The teachers decided that he was either a genius or crazy.
During his student years, the rheumatic pain in his legs finally disappeared, and Gaudí was able to walk normally. And this became one of his favorite activities.
Antonio completed his studies in 1878. And in 1906 he suffered another grief - the death of his father. Six years later, his niece followed him to the grave.
Carier start
From 1870 to 1882, Gaudí worked as a draftsman under the guidance of two architects, Francisco Villar and Emilio Sala. He learned crafts and entered competitions without success.
At first he carried out applied orders. The first official work of the architect Gaudi was lampposts in Plaza Reial.
These pillars were a candelabra of 6 arms mounted on a marble base. They are crowned with helmets of Mercury - a symbol of prosperity. This work was the first and last order of the city authorities, since the local municipality and Gaudí disagreed about his fee.
In 1877, the architect created his first major creation - fountain in Plaza Catalunya. And, starting from this time, he erected many unique buildings in the Art Nouveau style.
In 1883, Gaudí designs the first mansion. The wealthy manufacturer Manuel Vicens becomes his customer. It was necessary not only to build the house, but also to successfully fit it into the small space of the plot of land, frame it with a garden and at the same time create the illusion of space. The architect coped with this task brilliantly: turrets, bay windows, and balconies give the simple quadrangular building (cat. Casa Vicens) amazing volume.
In 1898 – 1900 is being built (cat. Casa Calvet). Unlike other Gaudi buildings, the house has a completely traditional appearance, and its facades are symmetrical. What gives it its originality are alternating convex and flat balconies, as well as bobbins and columns in the form of coils - a tribute to the professional affiliation of the owner who owned textile industry. For the construction of this building, the architect was awarded the Barcelona Municipal Prize in 1900.
Gaudi rarely took into account the opinion of the customer. He was modest, but at the same time eccentric, and embodied all his fantasies in his works.
He was lucky to be born at a time when the Spanish bourgeoisie became rich and decided to show the whole world their triumph. Building a more elaborate house than the neighbor's was in a simple way prove your superiority. Therefore, architects with an original vision, and not always talented ones, were popular and had complete freedom of action.
During the same period, Gaudí erected buildings in the neo-Gothic style and in the spirit of the fortress, such as the one he started Bishop's Palace in the city of Astorga (cat. Palacio Episcopal de Astorga). The design of this building, located in Castilla, was entrusted to the architect in 1887 by the Bishop of Grau i Vallespinos, a Catalan by birth. Gaudi began to build a palace in the form of a medieval fortress, with a moat, four towers and battlements. This was a very daring decision for the clergyman's palace, but the bishop did not argue. The construction was interrupted by the sudden death of the customer in 1893, and the church council, dissatisfied with the excessive costs, entrusted the completion of the construction to another architect. 
In addition to large-scale architectural works, Gaudi was involved in interior design and development of furniture sketches.
Fame
All the sights of Barcelona and other cities created by Antonio Gaudi are magnificent, but the works created after meeting Eusebio Güell brought him real popularity. He was a textile magnate, the richest Catalan, with creative flair and taste. And he became a friend and patron of the brilliant architect.
There are two versions of their friendship - one, they met at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, where Gaudi presented the project for the village of Mataro. However, this version is hardly plausible, since the models of the unknown architect could not attract the attention of the public.
According to another version, Guell noticed Antonio when he was decorating a Barcelona glove store. After receiving his diploma, the young man needed money and took on any job. When decorating the window, Gaudi did it impressively: from gloves strung on wire, he created entire scenes of city life: horses pulling carriages, people walking and cats, beloved by all Catalans.
Fascinated by the master’s work, Guell watched his work for a long time, and then asked the store owner to introduce him to Gaudi. Having learned that the young man was an architect, he invited him to visit him, where he received him warmly and cordially. After this, Gaudí became a frequent guest in Güell's house. He showed him new sketches of his buildings, and Eusebio always entrusted him with the construction of those that became a real masterpiece.
Many of the works and houses of the architect Gaudí will survive centuries, but these are the ones that brought him fame and finally shaped his unique style.
Palace Güell (cat. Palao Guell).
This house, the construction of which journalists compared with the construction of the Tower of Babel, was built in 1885 - 1900. Guell did not limit the architect's funds for construction and interior design. Only the most luxurious materials were used in the interior decoration of this house: tortoiseshell, ivory, ebony and eucalyptus. And if in the interior the most interesting part was the hall with a sky dome, then in the exterior the most impressive thing is the roof with 18 chimneys in the form of fancy turrets.
Casa Mila (cat. Casa Mila)
Casa Mila or Casa Mila was created by Antonio Gaudi in 1906-1910. for the Mila family. At first, Barcelona residents did not appreciate this steep, curved building, and nicknamed it La Pedrera - the quarry. The roof is also decorated with turrets that look like knights in fancy helmets, one of which is inlaid with shards of green bottle glass.
Casa Batllo (cat. Casa Batllo)
Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo also known as Casa Batllo And House of Bones, was rebuilt by Gaudi in 1904 - 1906. In the building, transformed by a genius, there are practically no straight lines. Its facade obviously depicts a dragon - the image of Evil. And the skulls and bones visible in the balconies and columns are his victims. A tower with a cross - the sword of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia - pierces the body of the dragon, symbolizing the victory of the forces of Light over Darkness.
Park Guell (cat. Parc Guell)
Park Güell in Barcelona was created between 1900 and 1914 and was a combination of residential areas and gardens. From a commercial point of view, this project was a failure because the Catalans did not want to live in the hills. But nowadays Park Güell is one of the brightest attractions of Barcelona. The central entrance to the park is decorated with two pavilions that look like huge gingerbread houses, and on the upper terrace there is a giant bench in the shape of a sea serpent. Gaudi chose this Park to live in and owned one of the houses.
(cat. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia)
With the birth of Antonio Gaudi, the architecture of the whole world was enriched with many works, but the most outstanding was the Sagrada Familia. Gaudi began work on this cathedral in Barcelona in 1883, but did not have time to finish it. In this structure, as in many others, the architect reflected what he saw in living nature. A forest of columns with capitals in the form of branches, intertwining, create the arch of the building, and each tower and stained glass window tells its own biblical story.
According to Gaudi's plan, the cathedral was supposed to have 3 facades depicting the life of Christ (Birth, Passion and Resurrection). It was also planned to install 12 towers symbolizing the apostles, 4 higher towers dedicated to the evangelists, the tower of the Virgin Mary and the highest - 170 m, which was intended for Christ. The God-fearing Catalan did not want the temple to be higher than the Montjuic hill (171 m), because the mountain is the creation of God, and the building is man’s.
Gaudí's architecture was far ahead of its time. During the construction of the Temple, Antonio Gaudi based the columns, vaults and other details on complex three-dimensional shapes, which can now only be recreated using computer modeling. And the architect developed them only with the help of his imagination and intuition.
It is curious that the temple is being built exclusively on anonymous donations from parishioners. When this structure is completed (expected to happen by 2026), it will become the tallest church in the world.
Antonio Gaudi was extremely extravagant and stubborn. This is probably why quite funny incidents arose with him.
Despite the fact that Gaudí rarely had conflicts with male customers, disputes with their wives were not uncommon. The owner of the Batlo house was upset with the way the construction of their home was being carried out. She noticed that due to the oval shape of the room in the music salon, it would be impossible to place her daughter’s piano. Gaudi ignored tactfully made comments and left everything unchanged. The angry woman spoke harshly to the architect, but he, without embarrassment, said: the piano won’t fit, buy a violin.
Gaudí and his father were vegetarians and adherents clean water and fresh air. At the same time, Antonio, like a true Christian, showed moderation in food. For lunch, he, a rather large man, ate only lettuce leaves, dipped in milk, and a handful of nuts.
Gaudi loved Catalonia dearly and dreamed of enriching its culture. One day, the police mistook an unkemptly dressed architect for a tramp and stopped him. They asked him several questions in Castilian, but he answered them in Catalan. At this time, there was a fight against “Catalan nationalism”, and Gaudí was threatened with prison. Having finally realized that this was an architect who was already well-known at that time, they wanted to hush up the matter, but he continued to chat carefreely in native language. That's why he spent 4 hours in the police station.
Gaudi's construction costs were enormous. When the architect, in addition to the main bill, presented the Mila family with an invoice for overtime work, the couple refused to pay. The architect went to court, and the decision was made in his favor. The Mila family had to take out a mortgage on the house they built to pay the bill. Gaudi gave the money to one of the convents.
More scandalous things are also attributed to the architect: it is believed that for the scene of the beating of infants he made casts of stillborn children, and in order to accurately repeat the contours of the animals, he put them to sleep with chloroform before applying plaster.
Personal life
The great architect Gaudi spent his entire life alone. In his youth, he dressed very flashily and attracted the attention of women. However, having learned about his profession, which at that time was considered akin to an artisan, they lost interest in him. Women were concerned about the well-being of the groom, and the work of an architect did not guarantee financial stability.
Antonio's first love was the beautiful Josepha Moreu, funny nicknamed Pepeta. In 1884, this wayward woman worked as a teacher at the Mataro cooperative school. Gaudí carried out orders for this enterprise and often visited Pepeta and her sister.
Pepeta gladly accepted the advances of the young, educated architect. Together they visited the Güell drawing room, where all the intellectuals of Barcelona gathered once a week. But at the same time, she kept the inexperienced gentleman at a distance. Finally, Antonio proposed to her. And he was taken aback: Pepeta announced that she was already engaged to a successful timber merchant.
Gaudi never proposed to another girl. Years later, he fell in love again with a woman, a young American. But their relationship ended when she returned to the States.
Death
Throughout his life, Gaudi loved to walk around Barcelona. But if in his youth he looked good and dressed elegantly, then in the middle of his life he stopped paying attention to his appearance and resembled a beggar.
On June 7, 1926, he left the house to take his usual walk to the temple of Sant Felip Neri. At this time he was already 73 years old, and the architect visited this church every day. While he was walking absentmindedly between the streets of Girona and Bailén, he was hit by a tram. Antonio lost consciousness.
The unkempt appearance of the tramp led people astray. The cab drivers did not want to take him to the medical department, fearing that they would not receive money. In the end, the great architect was taken to a hospital for the poor, where he received the most primitive care. Only on July 8th was he identified by the chaplain of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, but any treatment was already useless.
On June 10, 1926, the genius died. They buried him in the crypt of the temple, which he did not have time to complete.
