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6 interesting facts about Casa Vicens

6 interesting facts about Casa Vicens

Built between 1883 and 1885 as a summer residence for the Vicens family, Casa Vicens is Gaudí's first masterpiece.

Barcelona is the city of Gaudí, and six of his buildings in the city are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Since 2005 the list has included Casa Vicens. We reveal six interesting facts about this unique house built in modernista style.

 

  1. Gaudí's first building in Barcelona.

Casa Vicens is Gaudí's first major commission and the first house in which the genius was able to apply his techniques and research, and demonstrate his own style and influences. In this house Gaudí gave shape to his own idea of what a family home should be, with highly individual modernista ornamentation and features, a foretaste of his later work in Barcelona.

  1. The residence of Manel Vicens i Montaner

In 1883, the stockbroker Manel Vicens i Montaner entrusted the young architect with the design and construction of his summer residence in what was formerly the town of Gràcia. Today the property is made up of three different elements, the result of the changes it has undergone throughout history: the original 1883-1885 construction designed by Antoni Gaudí, the extension carried out in 1925 by Joan Baptista Serra de Martínez, and the garden around the building.

  1. A very special garden

In his work on Casa Vicens, Gaudí was inspired by Mediterranean flora and fauna, which are also seen in the resources he draws on and all the interior decorations. Today's garden is inspired by other gardens of the time and is the outcome of an analysis of Gaudi’s original design for the Casa Vicens garden.

  1. Restoration to the original design

The restoration work begun in March 2017 has brought to light the original colors hidden under the various refurbishments the house has undergone. The aim of the restoration has been to respect and restore Gaudí’s original design. An interdisciplinary team of architects, craftsmen, historians, Gaudí experts, chemists and photographers has made it possible to validate ideas of what the original house may have looked like.

  1. Current owners of the property

MoraBanc, a leading private family bank in Andorra, acquired the Casa Vicens property in March 2014 and implemented a painstaking and ambitious plan to restore the property.

  1. Casa Vicens celebrated 3 years of being open to the public in November 2020

On 16 November 2017, Casa Vicens, the first house built by Gaudí, opened its doors to the public. A private residence from 1885 to 2014, the building was opened to the public for the first time in 2017 after 3 years of rigorous restoration and rehabilitation, making it possible for visitors to gain an understanding of Gaudí’s architectural beginnings.

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