Casa Vicens is a very special place. You can feel that Antoni Gaudi was creating without limits. The client of the house and a close friend of the architect entrusted him with the design of his summer residence. Gaudi's artistic style is just beginning to emerge here, but his genius is already evident in the crazy cocktail of artistic techniques.
The house was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. In 2014, MoraBanc, a private family bank from Andorra, bought Casa Vicens and began a thorough renovation and restoration. And just 2 years ago it was reopened to the public!
Casa Vicens represented Gaudí's first major commission. At the time of its construction (1883-1885), he had just graduated in architecture. The house is located in the Gracia district. In the 19th century, this area of Barcelona was still a suburb - a small village. Gracia was a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city in the summer.
During the tour you can see:
patio and small garden (there is a small Hofmann café on the premises)
basement (book and gift shop)
day use floor (dining room, veranda and smoking room)
owners' floor (two bedrooms, bathroom and living room)
a floor with a permanent exhibition and a room with a video film about the history of the house.
roof terrace
PATIO AND GARDEN
The stockbroker and industrialist Manuel Vicens was a manufacturer of bricks and ceramics. The house is elaborately wainscotted inside and out. The eye is simply delighted by the wealth of shapes, colours and decorative elements. From the outside, the house is not like Casa Batlló or Casa Mila: it does not yet have Gaudí's characteristic streamlined forms. But the passion for experimentation is already evident. The house was built in a modernist style, with a strong influence of oriental aesthetics. There are many elements and colour palettes typical of oriental cultures in the decoration and furnishings of the house.
The house was originally surrounded by a large area with a fountain and rotunda, but only a small part of the garden has survived. It was recreated by studying Gaudí's drawings and ideas. Visitors are always drawn to the marble fountain on the ground floor veranda, which unites the house and the garden.
The Casa Vicens has undergone extensive restoration. Almost all the mouldings in the form of flowers and plants are made of papier-mâché, a technique characteristic of modernism at the time. And the Vicença house is one of the few places where these elements are very well preserved.
In this house, Gaudí did the opposite: the interior is full of Mediterranean flora and fauna, while the façade is unusually rich in ceramics.
OWNERS' ROOMS
On two floors there are living rooms and common rooms that are astonishing. Here you can see that Gaudi's genius is not based on madness, as many people believe. The source of his inspiration is the simplicity and complexity of the world around him and the unfathomable beauty of nature. The ceilings and walls are covered with mouldings in the shape of flowers and plants. The house is saturated with the colours of heaven and earth, shades of ochre, gold and bordeaux. Each room has its own atmosphere, but all the rooms of the house are connected by a unity of techniques.
The smoking room on the ground floor is an oriental oasis. It is a place for fun, parties and chamber meetings. Soft light from lamps, narrow windows overlooking the garden, deep purple shades, voluminous ceramics, floral patterns.... A fabulous place!
LAYOUTS AND DRAWINGS
On the third floor is a model of the house, which gives an idea of the original layout of the house with a large garden. Here you will see old photographs, books and drawings of the house, neatly written in Gaudi's ornate handwriting and signed by the architect. On this floor you will be treated to a 10 minute film about the history of Casa Vicens. The film is available in Catalan, Spanish and English.
TERRACE
Make sure you go all the way to the top. The terrace, with its oriental towers, is the perfect place to relax. It offers an interesting view of the neighbouring houses and streets.
COST
Adult ticket - 16€
Up to 11 years old - free
From 12 to 25 years - 12€
Over 65s - 14€
Disabled persons - 14€
Group tour supplement 3.50€ (in English, French, Spanish and Catalan)
