Barcelona’s Casa Batllo Readies for St. George Festival
Seven works by the Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudi make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site around Barcelona.
One of those properties is Casa Batllo, a building locally referred to as the House of Bones because of its organic skeletal qualities. It figures prominently in celebrations held April 23 for St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia.
The enormous ceramic dragon curled up on the rooftop, with the towering cross of St. George looming over it, ensures Casa Batllo’s playful participation in this annual event. Last year’s sound and light show depicted the convulsive awakening of the snoring dragon.
Legend has it that after St. George slew the dragon to save a princess from its clutches, he plucked a red rose for her from a nearby bush where the dragon’s red blood was spilled.
Casa Batllo plans to use this part of the legend to dress up the façade of the building with very large red roses for this year’s festival.
In 1904, Gaudi was hired by wealthy textile merchant Josep Batllo to refurbish the house.
Batllo’s only instruction to Gaudi was to create a spectacular house that would cast all the others on the street into the shade. And, Gaudi obliged.
The architect lavishly employed his love for nature, using color to enhance the brightness and brilliance of this art nouveau structure.
Gaudi’s obsession with light is visible throughout the house. A huge central skylight illuminates the dark blue tiles on the upper floors, which gradually lighten and become completely white on the darker bottom floor.
The house emphasizes Gaudi’s love for rounded shapes. The windows offer the only straight lines.
