Palau Guell was not open to the public in 2009, they were still in the process of refurbishing it. Another Gaudi UNESCO World Heritage site (remember, loyal readers: "UNESCO means you must go!")
(If you are new to the blog, the "UNESCO means you must go!" saying rhymes and is a good rule of thumb to remember that if something is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it's definitely worth going to see.)
Palau (meaning "Palace") Guell is a stunning Gaudi work just off La Rambla, and was built for Eusebi Guell and his family. Guell was a wealthy industrialist and leading patron of Gaudi. The house was an early project of Gaudi, built between 1886 and 1890.
We went at least three times in 2019, going ourselves once, taking Maddy once, and then going again with Don and Jennifer. This time it was just Carol and I, as Don and Jennifer headed home a day before us.
A brief description of the house, from Wikipedia:
"The home is centered around the main room for entertaining high society guests. Guests entered the home in horse-drawn carriages through the front iron gates, which featured a parabolic arch and intricate patterns of forged ironwork resembling seaweed and in some parts a horsewhip. Animals could be taken down a ramp and kept in the livery stable in the basement where the servants resided, while the guests went up the stairs to the receiving room. The ornate walls and ceilings of the receiving room disguised small viewing windows high on the walls where the owners of the home could view their guests from the upper floor and get a "sneak peek" before greeting them, in case they needed to adjust their attire accordingly."
The entire house is open to the public, so not only do you visit the living space, but also the bedrooms, the back patio, and, of course, the rooftop.
I have written so much about the trip, I'm going to let the photos tell the story, and I will fill in the blanks with the captions.
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