Casa Botines

A house built by master architect Antoni Gaudi. (I would go on to visit the Gaudi castle in Astorga, the Sagrada Familia, Park Gruell, and Casa Botlla in Barcelona. Many consistencies with parts of those works.). He was a true master incorporating key influences from Nature, the Catalan culture, and Catholicism. He never married and was a very private individual and devout Catholic. He was the only person to have spoken Catalan in the presence of the King and not immediately severely beaten. He tended to prefer an almost ascetic existence and his clothes were old and worn. In his seventies, one day he was hit by a city tram in Barcelona. Because of his unkept dress he was taken to a paupers hospital where he languished, untreated for several days. A wealthy benefactor happened to be volunteering in the hospital and recognized Gaudi, but though the city battled mightily to save it’s most famous son, he passed away. Luckily, he had just completed the Nativity entrance to the Sagrada Familia and had left detailed plans and models for its eventual completions over 200 years later.Read more