Park Güell

The park's origins trace back to a failed housing project proposed by Count Eusebi Güell, the park's namesake. He drew inspiration from the English garden city movement, hence the original English name "Park" (in Catalan "Parc Güell" and in Spanish "Parque Güell").

The area was previously an arid hill named Muntanya Pelada (Bare Mountain) with limited vegetation and few trees. It featured a grand country house called Larrard House, also known as Muntaner de Dalt House, and was situated next to a high-end neighborhood named La Salut (The Health).

The primary goal of the project was to capitalize on the fresh air and picturesque views of the location, far from the smog of factories. The plan entailed dividing the site into sixty triangular plots for luxurious homes, which would add to the development's prestige. In 1906, Count Eusebi Güell himself moved into Larrard House, further elevating the status of the venture. However, only two houses were eventually constructed, neither of which was designed by Gaudí, the renowned architect who was later associated with the park.

One of the houses was meant to be a demonstration model, but it was put up for sale after completion in 1904, with no buyers showing interest. At Güell's suggestion, Gaudí purchased the property using his savings and moved in with his family and father in 1906.

Gaudí lived in this house, built by Francesc Berenguer in 1904, until his death in 1926. The house features several original works by Gaudí and his colleagues and has been transformed into the Gaudí House Museum (Casa Museu Gaudí) since 1963. It was officially recognized as a national historical artistic monument in 1969.

Park Güell exemplifies Gaudí's artistic prowess during his naturalist phase, characterized by organic shapes and innovative structural solutions derived from geometric analysis. Gaudí's imaginative and ornamental creativity resulted in a structural richness of forms and volumes, unencumbered by the strictures of rational rigidity or classical traditions. This park represents the pinnacle of Gaudí's architectural genius, where he unleashed his innovative structural solutions that became emblematic of his organic style, culminating in the creation of the Sagrada Família.

The park's design was a collaboration between Güell and Gaudí, who envisioned a community of high-quality homes equipped with the latest technological advancements, infused with an artistic touch. The park's common elements synthesize the political and religious ideals shared by the patron and architect, with references to political Catalanism and Catholicism, as well as mythology, history, and philosophy. The complex iconography applied to the urban project has led some experts to see references to Freemasonry, although these have not been proven in Gaudí's historiography. The multiplicity of symbols in Park Güell reflects the preferences of that time for enigmas and puzzles, adding a touch of mystery to this artistic masterpiece.

Park Güell, originally built as a residential estate, has now been converted into a municipal garden that can be reached by underground railway, city buses, or commercial tourist buses. However, visitors must pay an entrance fee to visit the Monumental Zone, which includes the main entrance, terrace, viaducts, and parts containing mosaics. Gaudí's house, "la Torre Rosa," which houses his designed furniture, also requires an additional entrance fee. Visitors can purchase a reduced rate ticket to visit both Gaudí's house and the Sagrada Família Church.

Designed to bring peace and calm to visitors, the park's entrance buildings blend in well with the pleasure garden atmosphere. These two buildings, known as the Porter's Lodge pavilion, contain a telephone booth and a permanent exhibition of the Barcelona City History Museum focused on the park and the city's history. The main terrace, surrounded by a sea serpent-shaped bench, is the park's focal point and creates a more social atmosphere with its curved enclaves. Gaudí incorporated motifs of Catalan nationalism, religious mysticism, and ancient poetry into the park's design, with much of the bench work being attributed to his collaborator, Josep Maria Jujol.

Gaudí designed roadways around the park to serve the intended houses, utilizing structures that protrude from the steep hillside or run on viaducts. To minimize the impact of these roads, Gaudí incorporated separate footpaths in arcades formed under the structures. He used local stone to create designs that blend harmoniously with the landscape. His structures mimic natural forms, featuring columns like tree trunks that support branching vaulting under the roadway. The curves of the vaulting and alignment of sloping columns were designed in a similar way to his Church of Colònia Güell, forming inverted catenary arch shapes that make perfect compression structures.

At the highest point of the park, a stone hill made up of steps leads up to a platform that holds three large crosses. Known officially as "El Turó de les Tres Creus," many tourists refer to it as Calvary. Two of the crosses point north-south and east-west, while the tallest cross points skyward. This lookout provides a panoramic view of Barcelona and the bay, including famous landmarks like the Sagrada Família, the Agbar Tower, and the Montjuïc area.

The park is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, such as non-native species of parrots and birds like the short-toed eagle. Additionally, visitors may catch a glimpse of hummingbird hawk moths.