Torre Bellesguard Barcelona

"A little out of the way but so worth a visit! Beautiful building, with all the usual attention to detail from the famous architect Gaudi. It was very quiet, unlike most of his centrally located buildings."

Tanya Bond

"This is a gem, by Gaudi, it’s a small place, not much visited I guess, as I was the only one there on a Monday. I can immerse myself there, appreciate, without any disturbance. It’s concept of square and 90° is different from his other architectures. But the interior of the house still pertain his concept of natural light."

Connie Wan

"I was completely unaware of Torre Bellesguard (also known as Casa Figueras) when I first visited Barcelona last autumn. Having bought Rainer Zerbst’s wonderful book “Gaudí, The Complete Works” following my visit, I learned about Torre B which, by many, is regarded as the proud Catalonian Gaudí’s most patriotic undertaking. However, surprisingly, there seems to be very little information available about this comparatively small country house, located in a quiet residential area quite far from Barcelona’s city centre. Both this lack of information and publicity, and the effort one has to make to travel to the area (it’s a 20-30 minutes walk, much of it uphill, from the nearest Metro stop, unless you want to splash out on a taxi) might explain why there were only few visitors on a sunny day in early May. Obviously though, the quiet surroundings only added to my pleasant visit to Torre B and made a welcome change to the horrid cattle markets that are famous Casas Battló and Milà.

Of the different types of visits bookable on their website, I had opted for the €12 self-guided audio tour and found it good value for money. It gives access to the pretty gardens and a small number of rooms within the building itself. I very much look forward to returning to Torre B once restoration work is complete and more rooms are accessible and hopefully furnished as they would’ve looked when occupied by the Widow Figueras, after the house was completed in 1909.

As it is, what can be seen of the interior is a delight from the moment one steps into the gorgeous little entrance hall with its wonderful pendant light. Following the staircase up and up, past the glorious stained-glass windows, marvelling at the parlour’s spiderweb-like rib-vaulted ceiling, one reaches a somehow familiar-looking attic. Gaudí’s typically complicated looking brick arches are beautifully illuminated. Torre B’s crowning glory is, of course, it’s roof which doubles as a viewing platform, affording panoramic views of the city all the way to the Med. There, you will also find one of Gaudí’s typical, four-armed, mosaic-covered crosses. Spoiler alert: If you’ve been looking out for Gaudí’s beloved lizards, you will love the huge and kindly-looking dragon this clever architect has designed for and integrated in the roof structure.

Between strolling through the peaceful gardens, viewing the interior of the house and enjoying some time on the roof, I spent just over one hour at the property. It was time well spent but, as I mentioned above, I would love to return once the restoration is complete. The friendly lady at the reception booth said, it might be as early as autumn 2026. I would like to think that more information and photographic images of the interior of the house post-completion would be available by then. It states on the property’s website, that a dedicated research group is busy compiling such documentation, and my wish is, that the property owners would then collaborate with the publishers of the wonderful Dosde series of books that features the individual Modernist buildings open to the general public. It would make a wonderful addition to my cherished collection."

H O'Sullivan