Casa Batllo

by Ivan HBCN Owner Casa Batllo is one of the many Gaudi masterpieces that Barcelona has to offer. Located on Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Batllo was designed and built to mirror the sea.

The house was originally built in 1877 by Emilio Salas Cortés (one of Gaudi’s teachers) as a sober and classical building comprising of a basement, five other floors and a garden behind the house. The house was then bought in 1900 by JosepBatlló and his wife who decided that due to its excellent location and their own desire to stand out, the building needed renovating and in 1904 contacted Gaudi to spearhead the renovations.

Renovations to Casa Batllo were completed in 1906. During the two years that Gaudi had been working on the building he had been given complete creative freedom with the result being the exquisite piece of architectural design that still stands today. The crowning glory of Gaudi’s design (other than the renovated façade and interior) is the roof of the building that was designed to look like the spine of an animal, which some people claim to be the spine of the dragon slain by Saint George.

When JosepBatllo died his wife inherited the property, however, after her death in 1940, Casa Batllo was handed down to the Batllo children. In 1954 the property was purchased by an insurance company who made it their offices.It was not until 1970 that refurbishments began on Casa Batllo to restore it to its former glory. Restorations then began, with the balconies and façade being restored in the mid 1980s and the basement being refurbished in 1995.

In 2002 the Casa Batllo opened its doors for the first time to the public, allowing them visit the Noble Floor (the former residences of the Batllo family), and the tour was extended in 2004 to include the newly restored roof terrace and 5th floor. All of this coincided with the 100th anniversary of the start of Gaudi’s renovations, and in 2005 the Casa Batllo was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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CasaBatllo is open 365 days a year from 9am to 9pm (with last admission at 8pm). However, it should be noted that on some days the Casa Batllo does close early at 2pm. To avoid long queues, you could consider going with an official tour guide, who would also give you many insights about the history of Casa Batllo and its design, as well as other Gaudi sites such as the SagradaFamilia and Park Güellon hereBarcelona.com.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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