Bellesguard or Casa Figueres is a mansion built in 1900-1909 in Barcelona ( Catalonia, Spain ) by the architect Antoni Gaudi.
The appearance of the tower house resembles a medieval castle: powerful walls, narrow long loophole windows, miniature semicircular balconies with stone festoons and a gallery protected by battlements on the top floor. Not without Gaudí’s signature tricks – for example, a volumetric cross crowning the tower. In contrast to the Gothic exterior, large parts of the interior design show a strong influence of the Mudejar style, which is due to the fact that this was largely only realized after Gaudí’s retirement under his successor Domènec Sugrañes i Gras.
Like many of Gaudí’s works, the house was not fully completed under his direction. The architect Domènech Sugrañes took over from Gaudí and completed the construction in 1917
Bellesguard is privately owned and cannot be visited. The current owner does, however, occasionally leave the gate to the gardens open so that one can have a look at the outside of the building and the garden.
Access : Coordinates: 41.409444, 2.126667 / The mansion is located in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi area of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
Highlights :
- The interiors are full of forged details, ceramic tiles, anthropomorphic floors and other outlandish accents that are so characteristic of Gaudí.
- The Bellesguard tower is surrounded by a small, but luxurious garden, where there are also many testimonies of the architect’s genius – a water pump, grates, a gatekeeper’s house.
- Opening hours : Bellesguard Tower is open to the public from 10:00 to 19:00 from May 1 to October 31 (closed on Sundays) and from 10:00 to 15:00 from November 1 to April 30 (Monday closed). Days off: January 1 and 6, December 25 and 26.
- Entrance fees:9 EUR, children under 18 and pensioners – 7.20 EUR, children under 8 – free admission.
Go next : Sarrià-Sant Gervasi ,one of the biggest districts of Barcelona. / The main street of Sarrià is Major de Sarrià.