Five World Heritage Sites in Barcelona

“Modernista” is Catalonia’s own version of the Art Nouveau architectural movement that swept through Europe between 1880 and 1910. In the city of Barcelona, the movement was energized by the Catalan cultural revival of that period and it reached its peak between 1888 and 1906.

Modernism inspired the design of hundreds of remarkable buildings and sites, interior decorations, sculptures, and streetlights throughout the city and beyond.

The designs integrate metal, concrete, coloured glass, tiles, and mosaics and make generous use of sinuous and arching lines, colours, symbols, and more than a touch of the architects’ playfulness and fantasy. Most importantly, both the interior and exterior forms and decorations take their inspiration from what the architects had observed in the natural world.

This architectural heritage is one of the tourist draws to Barcelona. The brochure describing the Barcelona Modernisme Route lists 115 examples of Modernista architecture in the city. Nine of those places, designed by either Antoni Gaudí or Lluís Domènech i Montaner, have been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

We recently visited five of these designated sites. They are all magnets for tourists and, at times, it was difficult to capture images without having a crowd of people taking selfies all around us. Despite this, we are pleased to share some of our moments of wonder with you.

Read on to learn a little more about each of the five World Heritage Sites.

Casa Milà – La Pedrera (Gaudí)

This multistorey house was commissioned by a rich couple named Milà, but it is often referred to as La Pedrera (stone quarry), because of its stone façade. It was intended to be a rental property. The building is imposing as it stands out from the surrounding houses, on the corner of two busy streets.

Visitors have access to the inner courtyard with its wrought iron sculpted gate and curvilinear staircase, all the rooms of a large apartment with its period furniture (also designed by Gaudí), the attic with its innovative arched structure and the memorable rooftop. The windows and balconies are very striking and appear almost whimsical. The visit leaves one with the feeling that a residential space can be fun and full of life and yet be functional.

Park Güell (Gaudí)

Park Güell was designed as a private garden within a proposed luxury residential development financed by a wealthy businessman named Eusebi Güell. The ambitious project, which was never completed, included the construction of sixty houses on fifteen hectares overlooking the city. Only three of the plots of land were ever sold, one of them to Gaudi himself who build a house there for his family.

The two pavilions and the three large fountains at the park’s main entrance are playful in design and would not be out of place in Disneyland. The extensive terrace, which was intended to be used for entertaining, is surrounded by a continuous, colourful, curving mosaic-covered seat.

Gaudí developed and perfected a technique (called trencadis) for creating decorative mosaics from broken fragments of ceramic tiles and pottery. His decorative puzzles can be seen everywhere in the park and contribute to the uniqueness of Park Güell.

The lush gardens with their arches and pillars are straight out of a fairy tale. Visitors can roam freely throughout the park.

La Sagrada Família (Gaudí)

The Sagrada Família is Antoni Gaudí’s best-known work probably because of its size, complexity and magnificence, and the fact that it is still unfinished. The project was started in 1882 under a different architect who had envisaged a traditional Gothic-revival basilica structure. The young Gaudí took over the project a year later, and applying his genius and visionary flair, he proposed a daring design. He worked on the project for over forty years, until his death in 1926, and he left drawings and models to inspire its completion.

This is a church like no other. The basilica has three colossal façades that are decorated with finely sculpted ornamentation, statues and symbols that illustrate the biblical stories marking the life of Christ: his birth, his passion, death and resurrection, and his present and future glory. Twelve of the spires, which bear colourful ceramic caps, represent the Apostles. The spire dedicated to the Virgin Mary stands 138 metres high.

The tallest spire, presently under construction, will be more than 170 metres high, the tallest in the world. It will be dedicated to Christ the Saviour. During the day, the interior of the church is flooded with natural light filtering through the stained-glass windows: blue light with the morning sun and multiple shades of red later in the day. It is magical to see.

Private donations and entrance fees are funding the completion of the basilica. Two of the three façades have been completed and are open to visitors, along with the naves, the apse and the museum. An elevator ride to the top of the towers provides magnificent views of the city. UNESCO awarded World Heritage status to the Nativity façade and the crypt of the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família in 2005. Hopes are that the basilica will be completed in time to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Gaudí.

Palau de la Mùsica Catalana (Domènech i Montaner)

The construction of a sumptuous venue dedicated to the expression of the Catalan language and culture was the dream of Joaquim Cabot i Rovira. He was a successful and prestigious goldsmith, deeply involved in the Catalan Renaissance and personally committed to the development and growth of cultural institutions.

He mortgaged his business and, in part, used his own personal wealth to build the Palau de la Mùsica Catalana. He was the president of the Orfeó Català for thirty years and he helped popularize choral expression among the working people of Barcelona. In this way, he succeeded in giving a voice to the voiceless. Over time, the Orfeó choir expanded, increased its repertoire, and rose to international success.

The magnificent Palau, designed by Domènech i Montaner, celebrates Catalan culture, the universality of music and the beauty of nature. The back of the stage features sixteen muses playing different musical instruments from around the world. The external walls of the building incorporate both clear and stained glass, to let in the natural light. The walls, ceilings and columns are decorated with thousands of mosaics representing flowers, plants, and animals. The sweeping staircases and the chandeliers are majestic.

The Palau is sandwiched between apartment buildings in the old city, which protected it from destruction during the Civil War. We attended an opera one evening. The concert hall is beautiful and intimate at night, and we found the acoustics to be wonderful. The Palau de la Mùsica Catalana is the only concert venue in the world to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sant Pau Recinte Modernista (Domènech i Montaner)

Sant Pau Recinte was formerly the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. The complex was built between 1902 and 1930 as a modern and innovative hospital. A bequest from a rich Catalan banker provided much of the initial funding for the project. The plan was to relocate and enhance the services provided by the old Hospital de la Santa Creu in the Raval district, an institution which had been established in 1401 under a papal bull. Sant Pau’s multiple-building complex, surrounded by gardens, was intended to provide the best of care at the time.

The Administrative Building is the centrepiece of the complex and has an imposing clock tower that is sixty-two meters high. The exterior is surrounded by sixteen mosaic panels depicting the history of the hospital. Its interior is as impressive. The rooms, marble stairs and open spaces, such as the Grand Hall, are worthy of a visit. The architect wanted that building to set the tone for the rest of the complex.

Each pavilion was dedicated to a saint and devoted to a specific medical or surgical discipline. Underground tunnels linked all the pavilions. The Sant Salvador Pavilion presents a highly informative history of the advances in medicine and surgery that were implemented in the hospital. Most of the buildings of the former hospital have been restored and some are now the headquarters of international organizations dedicated to research, innovation, and knowledge transfer.