Barcelona Through Time: Historic & Architectural Highlights

Torre Bellesguard, also known as Casa Figueres, was built by Antoni Gaudí between 1900 and 1909 in the Sarrià–Sant Gervasi district. The site carries significant historical weight: it was here that Martin I the Humane, the last king of the House of Barcelona, lived and died in 1410. The commission came from Maria Sagués Molins, widow of Jaume Figueras. Gaudí reinterpreted Catalan Gothic in a modern key: straight stone walls, pointed windows, and a tower topped with a four-armed cross covered in ceramics. Though more austere than some of his other works, it incorporates characteristic elements: use of local materials, integration with the landscape, craftsmanship in ironwork and mosaics, and a layout that maximizes light and views. The name Bellesguard means “beautiful view,” referencing the natural lookout the estate offers.

Built between 1905 and 1908 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the Orfeó Català, the "Palau de la Música Catalana" is one of the most iconic buildings of Catalan Modernism. Domènech combined iron, brick, glass, and ceramics to create a space where structure and ornamentation merge in perfect harmony. Its innovative metal framework allows for a concert hall free of load-bearing walls, bathed in natural light filtered through colorful stained glass. The interior stands out for its exuberant sculptural decoration, filled with references to classical music and universal composers. The central skylight, designed by Antoni Rigalt i Blanch, is an inverted stained-glass dome shaped like the sun that floods the hall with light and has become the emblem of the Palau, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Between 1886 and 1890, Antoni Gaudí built the Palau Güell for his patron Eusebi Güell. Located on Carrer Nou de la Rambla, in the heart of the Raval, it stands apart from the bourgeois Eixample in a then working-class, densely populated area. In this “orientalist” phase, Gaudí blended medieval, Nasrid, and Byzantine references. The exterior, sober and made of stone, contrasts with interiors rich in marble, fine wood, wrought iron, and mosaics. The narrow plot led to a vertical solution: the grand Central Hall, spanning three levels, is topped by a perforated dome that lets in light like a starry sky. Home to the Güell family and a space of vibrant social life, it was inaugurated during the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Less known than his later works, the Palau Güell is essential for understanding Gaudí: mastery of space, play of light, and exceptional craftsmanship brought together in a unique urban residence.

The Sagrada Família is Antoni Gaudí’s most famous work and one of the most unique temples in the world. Its construction began in 1882 as a civic initiative promoted by the bookseller Josep Maria Bocabella, who envisioned a great expiatory temple in an industrial and rapidly changing Barcelona. Gaudí took over in 1883, replacing the original neo-Gothic design with a monumental vision that integrated faith, nature, and technique. For 43 years —and especially during the last fourteen of his life— he worked almost exclusively on the project: columns like tree trunks branching out, vaults inspired by forest canopies, and light that evokes a woodland atmosphere. During his lifetime, he focused mainly on the Nativity Façade, conceived as both a statement of intent and a visual appeal to attract donations. As an expiatory temple, the Sagrada Família has always been funded through private contributions, including income from visitors. After Gaudí’s death in 1926, the work continued thanks to the models and geometric calculations he left behind. The Civil War destroyed part of the workshop, but construction resumed in the mid-20th century. Today, with the central towers nearing completion, the building continues to rise —faithful to Gaudí’s method while adapting to the challenges of the 21st century.

Rising above the Gothic Quarter stands the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, the seat of the archbishop and Barcelona’s main church since the Middle Ages. Beneath its foundations lie the remains of a Paleochristian basilica and a Romanesque temple, bearing witness to the continuity of worship since the city’s origins. Construction of the current Gothic building began in the 13th century, reflecting the rise of a city in expansion. The Cathedral is a prime example of Catalan Gothic architecture: three naves of nearly equal height, side chapels dedicated to guilds and families, and a 15th-century choir at its center. Its cloister, added around the same period, preserves the fountain, garden, and the famous white geese. The main façade is not medieval —it was added in the late 19th century, financed by the banker Manuel Girona and designed by Josep Oriol Mestres in a Neo-Gothic style inspired by ancient plans. This detail makes the Cathedral a true architectural palimpsest, where Romanesque, Gothic, and Neo-Gothic coexist within a single space.

Built between 1883 and 1885 in the former village of Gràcia, Casa Vicens was Antoni Gaudí’s first major commission. Manuel Vicens, a stockbroker, commissioned it as a summer house in what was then a quiet, tree-lined area. Gaudí combined straight lines and geometric volumes with decoration that blends Oriental, Nasrid, and Japanese influences. The façade alternates stone, brick, and ceramic tiles with floral motifs, including the famous yellow carnation tiles inspired by the flowers that once grew on the site. The iron gate reproduces the silhouette of a palm leaf —another nod to nature. Inside, highlights include the dining room opening onto the garden, an Oriental-inspired smoking room, and meticulously decorated bedrooms, all showcasing the integration of architecture and the applied arts. Casa Vicens is an early work in which Gaudí began to explore the ideas that would later define his distinctive personal style.

Between Passeig de Gràcia and Avinguda Diagonal rises Casa Terradas, better known as Casa de les Punxes (“House of the Spikes”) for its pointed towers. It was designed in 1905 by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for the Terradas sisters, who wanted a distinctive building in modern Barcelona. Puig i Cadafalch conceived an authentic urban castle: conical towers, pointed windows, and a continuous façade connecting the three family residences. The blend of Catalan Gothic and European Modernism can be seen in the ceramics, wrought iron, and sculptural reliefs —notably the ceramic panel dedicated to Saint George (Sant Jordi), a reflection of the Catalan patriotism of the time. Today, its silhouette still dominates Diagonal, standing as a landmark of Barcelona’s Modernist architecture.

Built between 1906 and 1912, Casa Milà —popularly known as La Pedrera (“the stone quarry” in Catalan)— was commissioned by Pere Milà and Roser Segimon, who sought a distinctive residence on Passeig de Gràcia. In the height of his creative maturity, Gaudí designed a building without straight lines, with a flowing stone façade that broke all aesthetic conventions of the time. Technically innovative, La Pedrera dispensed with load-bearing walls: a structure of pillars and beams allowed for open, customizable floor plans. The interior courtyards provide natural light and ventilation, while the rooftop —with its sculptural chimneys and vents— fuses function and art. From the wrought-iron balconies to the interior design, every detail follows a single organic logic. La Pedrera cemented Gaudí’s reputation as an architect capable of transforming tradition into pure avant-garde.

Between 1904 and 1906, Gaudí transformed a conventional building on Passeig de Gràcia into one of his masterpieces. Commissioned by the industrialist Josep Batlló, the house became a manifesto of advanced Modernism —an architecture where light, color, and organic forms blend seamlessly with nature. The façade, covered in "trencadís" (broken tile mosaic), changes tone depending on the daylight. Its iron balconies resemble masks or shells, and the columns of the main floor evoke bones, giving the building an almost marine or fantastical appearance. Inside, Gaudí designed every detail to optimize light and ventilation: from the vaulted entrance hall to the ceramic light well that distributes brightness gradually throughout the space. On the rooftop, the curved roofline and mosaic-covered chimneys crown the building with an almost sculptural character. Located on the so-called “Block of Discord,” Casa Batlló stands alongside other Modernist gems by Puig i Cadafalch and Domènech i Montaner, reflecting the bourgeois splendor of early 20th-century Barcelona.