Casa Batlló (also known as “Casa dels ossos” or “House of Bones”) is a building located on Passeig de Gracia Boulevard in the Eixample district. It is part of a row of houses known as the “Illa de la Discòrdia” (or “Mansana de la Discòrdia”, the "Block of Discord") consisting in five buildings designed by well-known Barcelonian Modernista architects, as follows:
– Casa Amatller (Josep Puig i Cadafalch)
– Casa Lleó Morera (de Lluís Domènech i Montaner)
– Casa Mulleras (Enric Sagnier)
– Casa Josefina Bonet (Marcel-li Coquillat)
– Casa Batlló (Antoni Placid Gaudí i Cornet)
Considered one of Antoni Gaudí’s greatest projects, Casa Batlló is a masterpiece born from the idea of redesigning an already existing house. The building has been refurbished several times, Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió contributing to the restauration project.
The prior building that is now Casa Batlló was built in 1877, commissioned by Lluís Sala Sánchez. It was a classical house without remarkable characteristics. Its design made the home undesirable to buyers, but the Batlló family decided to buy the place for the location, which in the early 20th century was an area where the prestigious family could draw attention.
The Batlló family was very well known in Barcelona for its contribution to the textile industry. Mr. Josep Batlló I Casanovas was a textile industrialist who owned a few factories, while Amalia Godo Belaunzaran, his spouse, came from the family that founded the newspaper La Vanguardia. Josep wanted an architect that would design a unique house and he chose Gaudi.
At first, his plans were to tear down the building and construct a completely new house, but Gaudí convinced Josep that renovation was sufficient. After the project was finished in 1906, the main apartment had been completely changed and became the residence of the Batlló family.
For tickets and schedule, please visit Casa Batllo’s web page.
TIP: You can acquire a Go Barcelona Pass – an electronic ticket on your mobile phone - that combines the city’s best points of interests. The card includes an audio guide for every attraction, a ticket for the official Barcelona city Hop-on Hop-Off tourist bus, a cruise and entrance for over 30 objectives. You can buy the pass here.
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