Barcelona's Lesser-Known Modernist Architectural Treasures
If you can’t face another trip to the Sagrada Família with visiting family, it’s time to take them off the beaten track and explore some of the city’s lesser-known Modernista architecture. Beyond the star attractions, Barcelona is also home to a wealth of lesser-known Modernista heritage sites that the city is working hard at renovating so that they many open their ornate doors to the public. There are no long queues in the sun to enter these living museums, just a chance to take in some outstanding design and craftsmanship at your own leisurely pace, or as part of a small tour group. The City of Barcelona has designed a Ruta del Modernisme guidebook for €12.00 which has a detailed map of over 115 heritage points in the city, several of which are open to inside viewing.
Casa Lleó i Morera
Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, with details provided by some of the era’s greatest craftspeople, this house opened to the public in January 2014. It forms part of the famous Manzana de la discordia on Pg. de Gràcia, so-named for the alleged rivalry between Domènech i Montaner and his famous neighbors on this spectacular Eixample block—Antoni Gaudí (Casa Batlló) and Josep Puig Cadalfalch (Casa Amatller). Guided tours take visitors to the house’s ornate first floor, which is home to some fine examples of Modernista sculpture, ceramics, mosaics and glassworks.
Pg. de Gràcia, 35 casalleomorera.com
La Torre Bellesguard
Also known as Casa Figueres, this former manor house overlooks Barcelona from its privileged spot on Collserola. The Guilera family, who has owned the house since 1944, opened their residence to the public in September 2013 following extensive renovation work. The house was designed by Gaudí for Jaume Figueras, a rich merchant and personal friend of the architect. Built between 1900 and 1909 it owes much of its aesthetic to the land it occupies. The castle-like exterior was inspired by the medieval fort—residence of King Martin of Aragón—which used to stand here and whose ruins can still be seen in the grounds around the house. Tours are small and fill up quickly, so it is recommended that you book your visit in advance.
Carrer de Bellesguard, 16 bellesguardgaudi.com
Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc
Founded in 1893, at the peak of the Modernista movement, the Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc is a meeting point for artists and intellectuals and boasts an illustrious list of former members, including Gaudí himself. In 2009 the Cercle moved to its current home in Palau Mercader, a small 17th-century palace just off Via Laietana, which was opened for public viewing in March 2014. The building houses a small but significant collection of Modernista art and a painting studio in which the style and manner of working al natural is unchanged since Modernista times. It is home to a lovely bar where you can soak up the atmosphere and leaf through Modernista magazines from around the world.
Mercaders, 42 santlluc.cat
Originally published August 2014, updated June 8, 2021.