Modernisme in Barcelona through Gaudí: Casa Batlló

I’ve said it before in my main post about Barcelona: this wonderful city has its own unique style, and it is in part because of modernisme, the Catalan art neouveau, and Casa Batlló is a gorgeous example of it. This artistic movement was born in the end of the 19th century around the time of the First Barcelona World Fair, and it was used as a representative of Catalan identity. Although it is best known for its architectural expression, with Antoni Gaudí in the forefront, this movement was also present in other arts, like literature, sculpture, theater and painting. This movement happened all around Catalonia but its center was clearly Barcelona, and you can still see the bohemian elegance of this style all over the city.

As I mentioned, Antoni Gaudí was the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism, so I will go through his main works in the city. However, there are many examples of modernism from other artists around the city that are worth a mention and are less overflown by tourists. You can check them out in my route through modernisme:

→ Route through Modernisme in Barcelona

Casa Batlló: the House of Bones

Casa Batlló is one of the greatest examples of Gaudí’s genius. This building located in the very center of the city has a very iconic façade, characterized for the use of broken ceramic tiles (trencadís) as a mosaic and the bone-like structures making the balconies (it is sometimes locally referred as the House of Bones).

Antoni Gaudí was known to introduce a lot of symbolism in his work, both religious and of Catalan national identity. It is not strange that soon the legend arose that the roof of Casa Batlló was mimicking the back of a dragon, and the tower-like feature on the left side of the façade would simbolize the spear that Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, used to slay the dragon.

The interior of the house is also quite remarkable. Following Gaudí’s style, straight lines were heavily avoided. The loft (service area) is decorated with series of white arches, mimicking an animal’s ribcage. The noble floor, the most outstanding part of the interior, uses waving and curling patterns, including the windows, and it reminds of sand patterns caused by the waves of the sea, probably an homage to the Mediterranean sea.

The stairwell is covered in blue tiles and the light reflects in its surfaces. This creates the impression of stepping into the bottom of the sea.

The roof terrace is one of its most popular features. Behind the dragon back design, an ample terrace decorated with chimney stacks with his characteristic mosaic.

The entrance fee for Casa Batlló is the highest of all of Gaudí’s work at 25€. You can purchase the tickets through this link. As I mentioned, the interior is very special. However, if you have to choose, I would recommend visiting other sites by the architect that are more spectacular and give a better bang for the buck. You can still enjoy the façade, which is the most impressive part anyway. Another option is to visit the house at night. During the summer months, concerts are held daily in Casa Batlló’s rooftop (called Magic Nights), which include a visit to the house and two drinks for 39€ (19€ if you are resident in the city). You can buy the tickets here.

Closing statement

Discover other modernist jewels here:

→ Modernisme in Barcelona through Gaudí: La Pedrera

→ Modernisme in Barcelona through Gaudí: Sagrada Família

→ Modernisme in Barcelona through Gaudí: Parc Güell

Or keep reading about the wonders of Barcelona in our general post:

→ Top 10 things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is a fantastic city and one of its most special features is the presence of modernisme and, in particular, the work of the great architect Antoni Gaudí. Make sure you don’t miss this experiences by buying the tickets for these attractions in Tiqets.com and skipping the lines here:

In particular I recommend purchasing the Barcelona Card if you are interested in visiting some of the city’s museums and attractions. With this card you get free entrance to many museums and attractions as well as unlimited use to the public transport for an amount of time as well as transport from and to the airport. It also includes a discount coupon booklet that you can use for other attractions, tours and entertainment of the city.

PIN ME: