Bellesguard
Encyclopedia
Bellesguard (ˌbeʎəzˈɣwart, "Beautiful View"), also known as Casa Figueres, is a modernist
manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí
, which was constructed between 1900 and 1909.
It is located at the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
district of Barcelona
. The ground on which Bellesguard stands on was previously the site of a country residence belonging to Martin, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona.
Gaudí was assisted by Joan Rubio
whilst Domènec Sugrañes i Gras
, who created the various mosaics which adorn the house, took over as lead architect and completed the building in 1917 after Gaudi quit the project.
overlooking Barcelona and consequently provides wide views over the city. The name dates to the age of Martin of Aragon, who had a summer residence on the site in the 15th century and subsequently coined the name Bellesguard
The Bellesguard is sometimes called the Casa Figueres because it was commissioned by Maria Sagués, widow of Jaume Figueras. Sagués was a longtime admirer of Gaudís work and she commissioned him to design the building 1900.
Modernisme
Modernisme was a cultural movement associated with the search for Catalan national identity. It is often understood as an equivalent to a number of fin-de-siècle art movements, such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Secessionism, and Liberty style, and was active from roughly 1888 to 1911 Modernisme ...
manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.Much of Gaudí's work was...
, which was constructed between 1900 and 1909.
It is located at the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is one of the biggest districts of Barcelona, situated on the north-west of the city, surrounded by districts of Les Corts, Gràcia, Eixample i Horta-Guinardo, and by the villages of Sant Just, Sant Feliu, Molins de Rei and Sant Cugat...
district of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. The ground on which Bellesguard stands on was previously the site of a country residence belonging to Martin, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona.
Gaudí was assisted by Joan Rubio
Joan Rubió
Joan Rubió i Bellver was a Spanish Catalan architect famous for his contributions to the Catalan Modernist movement...
whilst Domènec Sugrañes i Gras
Domènec Sugrañes i Gras
Domènec Sugrañes i Gras was a Catalan modernist architect and disciple of Antoni Gaudí. He succeeded him at the head of the works of the church of the Sagrada Familia and finished the façade of the Nativity...
, who created the various mosaics which adorn the house, took over as lead architect and completed the building in 1917 after Gaudi quit the project.
Etymology
The term Bellesguard comes from the Catalan for "Beautiful View", representing the fact that the building lies at halfway up the Collserola mountainSerra de Collserola
The Serra de Collserola , or simply Collserola, is a mountain range between the rivers Besòs and Llobregat. It is part of the Catalan Coastal Range....
overlooking Barcelona and consequently provides wide views over the city. The name dates to the age of Martin of Aragon, who had a summer residence on the site in the 15th century and subsequently coined the name Bellesguard
The Bellesguard is sometimes called the Casa Figueres because it was commissioned by Maria Sagués, widow of Jaume Figueras. Sagués was a longtime admirer of Gaudís work and she commissioned him to design the building 1900.
See also
- List of Modernisme buildings in Barcelona
- Antoni GaudíAntoni GaudíAntoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.Much of Gaudí's work was...
- List of Gaudí buildings
Sources
- Rainer Zerbst - Antoni Gaudí, TaschenTaschenTaschen is an art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. It began as Taschen Comics publishing Benedikt's extensive comic collection...
, 2002.