Bellesguard ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˌbeʎəzˈɣwaɾt] , "Beautiful View"), also known as Casa Figueres , is a modernist manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí , which was constructed between 1900 and 1909.
80-527: It is located at the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona in Catalonia , Spain. The ground on which Bellesguard stands had been the site of a country residence belonging to Martin , king of Aragon and count of Barcelona . Gaudí was assisted by Joan Rubió whilst Domènec Sugrañes i Gras created the various mosaics that adorn the house. Gaudí drew inspiration for Casa Figueras from
160-595: A Benedictine monk was the youngest of three brothers. His brothers Peter I (reigned 1094–1104) and Alfonso I El Batallador (The Battler, reigned 1104–1134) had fought against Castile for hegemony in the Iberian peninsula. Upon the death of Alfonso I, the Aragonese nobility that campaigned close to him feared being overwhelmed by the influence of Castile. And so, Ramiro was forced to leave his monastic life and proclaim himself King of Aragon. He married Agnes, sister of
240-571: A centralised government. They were more an economic part of the Crown of Aragon than a political one. The fact that the King was keen on settling new kingdoms instead of merely expanding the existing kingdoms was a part of a power struggle that pitted the interests of the king against those of the existing nobility . This process was also under way in most of the European states that successfully effected
320-535: A centralised kingdom. The Crown of Aragon originated in 1137, when the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (along with the County of Provence , Girona , Cerdanya , Osona and other territories) merged by dynastic union upon the marriage of Petronilla of Aragon and Raymond Berenguer IV of Barcelona ; their individual titles combined in the person of their son Alfonso II of Aragon , who ascended to
400-633: A consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession . At the height of its power in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of present-day eastern Spain, parts of what is now southern France , and a Mediterranean empire which included the Balearic Islands , Sicily , Corsica , Sardinia , Malta , Southern Italy (from 1442), and parts of Greece (until 1388). The component realms of
480-411: A consequence of the defeat of Archduke Charles (as Charles III of Aragon) in the War of the Spanish Succession . Formally, the political centre of the Crown of Aragon was Zaragoza , where kings were crowned at La Seo Cathedral . The 'de facto' capital and leading cultural, administrative and economic centre of the Crown of Aragon was Barcelona , followed by Valencia . Finally, Palma ( Majorca )
560-506: A corner of a base, adding to the vertical alignment of the structure created by the straight, vertical lines in his design. Torre Bellesguard is perhaps what the building is most recognized for, displaying Gaudí's typical cross of four arms decorated with red and yellow mosaics to mimic the Catalan flag. At the base of the cross one can also see what appears to be a crown wrapped around the circumference, likely Gaudi's symbolic acknowledgment of
640-890: A legislative body, known as the Cortes in the Kingdom of Aragon (the Courts of Aragon ) or Corts in the Principality of Catalonia (the Catalan Courts ) and the Kingdom of Valencia (the Valencian Courts ). A Diputación del General or Diputació del General was established in each, becoming known as a Generalidad in Aragon and Generalitat in Catalonia and Valencia. From the 15th century onwards, every realm of
720-457: A single state, the Kingdom of Spain , as it moved towards an absolutist centralized government under the new Bourbon dynasty. Some of the nationalist movements in Spain consider the former kingdoms of the Crown of Aragon to be the foundation of their nations, the Catalan nationalist movement being the most prominent. Spanish nationalism , on the other hand, tends to place more importance on
800-422: A square base of 15 × 15 m and is 19.5 m high, with an area of 900 m. The exterior façade is more neogothic, as Gaudí intended to pay tribute to the original medieval castle that once stood at the site. As is such, Gaudí used more straight lines, seldom seen in his usual work, which is especially apparent in the parapets and surface of the walls . The iconic tower, Torre Bellesguard, juts out from
880-480: Is in Sarrià . The institution of Lycée Français de Barcelone , a French international school, is also located in this neighbourhood. Porta (rapper) Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon ( UK : / ˈ ær ə ɡ ən / , US : /- ɡ ɒ n / ) was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona and ended as
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#1732780255679960-696: The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in autumn 1212 to find that Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester , had conquered Toulouse , exiling Count Raymond VI of Toulouse , who was Peter's brother-in-law and vassal. Peter's army crossed the Pyrenees and arrived at Muret where they were joined by Raymond of Foix and Raymond of Toulouse's forces, in September 1213 to confront Montfort's army. The Battle of Muret began on 12 September 1213. The Catalan, Aragonese and Occitan forces were disorganised and disintegrated under
1040-680: The Cathars or Albigensians, who rejected the authority and teachings of the Catholic Church , led to the loss of these possessions in southern France. Pope Innocent III called upon Philip II of France to suppress the Albigensians—the Albigensian Crusade , which led to bringing Occitania firmly under the control of the King of France, and the Capetian dynasty from northern France. Peter II of Aragon returned from
1120-582: The Catholic Monarchs who began the Inquisition , were contrary to the more plural development that preceded in the Crown of Aragon. The previous religious background was described as "longstanding tradition of Mudejarism , the royal sanctioning and protection of subject Muslim populations within Christian realms." Aesthetic Mudéjar architecture of Aragon has been observed as demonstrating
1200-583: The Collserola mountain overlooking Barcelona and consequently provides wide views over the city. The name dates to the age of Martin of Aragon , who had a summer residence on the site in the 15th century and subsequently coined the name Bellesguard. The Bellesguard is sometimes called the Casa Figueres because it was commissioned by Maria Sagués, widow of Jaume Figueras. Sagués was a longtime admirer of Gaudís work and she commissioned him to design
1280-526: The Duke of Aquitaine and betrothed his only daughter Petronilla of Aragon to Raymond Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona . The wedding agreement provided Berenguer with the title of Princeps Aragonum and Dominator Aragonensis (Ruler of the Kingdom and Commander of the Aragonese Military) but the title of King of Aragon was reserved for Ramiro II and Berenguer's future sons. Raymond Berenguer IV,
1360-573: The Kingdom of Aragon as the Aragonese noblemen had intended since even before the creation of the Crown of Aragon. The Kingdom of Valencia became the third member of the Crown together with Aragon and the Principality of Catalonia . The Kingdom of Majorca had an independent status with its own kings until 1349. In 1282, the Sicilians rose up against the second dynasty of the Angevins on
1440-615: The Llibre del Consolat del Mar or Book of the Consulate of the Sea , written in Catalan , is one of the oldest compilations of maritime laws in the world). However, the different territories were only connected through the person of the monarch. A modern historian, Juan de Contreras y Lopez de Ayala, marquis of Lozoya , described the Crown of Aragon as being more like a confederacy than
1520-568: The Mediterranean Lingua Franca as a language. Although its official classification is that of a pidgin, some scholars adamantly oppose that classification and believe it would be better viewed as an interlanguage of Italian. Linguist Steven Dworkin hypothesized that Catalan was the point of entry for Mediterranean Lingua Franca terms into Spain, arguably the source of several Italian and Arabic loanwords in Spanish, citing
1600-559: The Reconquista by granting different grades of self-government either to cities or territories, instead of placing the new territories under the direct rule of nobility. In 1410, King Martin I died without living descendants or heirs. As a result, on the Compromise of Caspe , representatives from each Iberian state of the Crown, the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia and the Principality of Catalonia, chose Ferdinand of Antequera from
1680-699: The Sicilian Vespers and massacred the garrison soldiers throughout the island. Peter III responded to their call, and landed in Trapani to an enthusiastic welcome five months later. This caused Pope Martin IV to excommunicate the king, place Sicily under interdiction, and offer the kingdom of Aragon to a son of Philip III of France . When Peter III refused to impose the Charters of Aragon in Valencia,
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#17327802556791760-550: The counts of Foix , the counts of Toulouse and the counts of Barcelona were rivals in their attempts at controlling the various counties of the Hispanic Marches and pays of Occitania . And the House of Barcelona succeeded in extending its influence to the area that is now south of France through strong family ties, in the areas of the County of Provence , County of Toulouse and County of Foix . The rebellion of
1840-576: The expulsion of the Moriscos (1609). It was unable to prevent the separation of Sicily and Naples due to the establishment of the Council of Italy, the loss of Roussillon in 1659 after the Reapers' War in the Principality of Catalonia , the loss of Minorca and its Italian domains in 1707–1716, and the imposition of French language on Roussillon (1700) and Castilian as the language of government in all
1920-523: The treaty of Cazorla . The Kingdom of Majorca , including the Balearic Islands, and the counties of Cerdanya and Roussillon-Vallespir and the city of Montpellier , was held independently from 1276 to 1279 by James II of Majorca and as a vassal of the Crown of Aragon after that date until 1349, becoming a full member of the Crown of Aragon from 1349. Valencia was finally made a new kingdom with its own institutions and not an extension of
2000-539: The Aragonese Kingdom of Sardinia finally extended throughout the island. The subduing of Sardinia having taken a century, Corsica , which had never been wrested from the Genoese, was dropped from the formal title of the Kingdom. Through the marriage of Peter IV to Maria of Sicily (1381), the Kingdom of Sicily , as well as the duchies of Athens and Neopatria , were finally implemented more firmly into
2080-435: The Aragonese out. The war between Arborea and Aragon was fought on and off for more than 100 years; this situation lasted until 1409, when the army of Arborea suffered a heavy defeat by the Aragonese army in the Battle of Sanluri ; the capital Oristano was lost in 1410. After some years during which Arborean rulers failed to organise a successful resurgence, they sold their remaining rights for 100,000 gold florins, and by 1420
2160-552: The Atlantic Ocean. Mercenaries from the territories in the Crown, known as Almogavars participated in the creation of this Mediterranean empire, and later found employment in countries all across southern Europe. The Crown of Aragon has been considered an empire which ruled in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years, with thalassocratic power to setting rules over the entire sea, (as documented, for instance, in
2240-760: The Capetian king Louis IX renounced any historical claim of feudal overlordship over Catalonia. The general principle was clear, Catalan influence north of the Pyrenees, beyond the Roussillon , Vallespir , Conflent and Capcir , was to cease. James I had realized that wasting his forces and distracting his energies in attempts to keep a footing in France would only end in disaster. In January 1266, James I besieged and captured Murcia, then settled his own men, mostly Catalans, there; and handed Murcia over to Castile with
2320-618: The Castilian dynasty of Trastámara as king of the Crown of Aragon as Ferdinand I of Aragon . Later, his grandson King Ferdinand II of Aragon recovered the northern Catalan counties—Roussillon and Cerdagne—which had been lost to France as well as the Kingdom of Navarre , which had recently joined the Crown of Aragon but had been lost after internal dynastic disputes. In 1469, Ferdinand married Infanta Isabella of Castile , half-sister of King Henry IV of Castile , who became Queen of Castile and León after Henry's death in 1474. Their marriage
2400-561: The Crown of Aragon is the familiar coat of the Counts of Barcelona and Kings of Aragon . The Pennon was used exclusively by the monarchs of the Crown and was expressive of their sovereignty. James III of Majorca , vassal of the Crown of Aragon, used a coat of arms with four bars, as seen on the Leges palatinae miniatures. As separate states united to the Crown under the aeque principaliter principle, Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia each had
2480-559: The Crown was granted its own court of justice in the form of Royal Audience , resulting from the division of the Royal Court and the establishment of the Council of Aragon in its place. After the dynastic union with Castile and the establishment of the monarchs in that realm, the king began to be permanently represented in the realms of the Crown of Aragon by viceroys , one for each state, including Mallorca and Sardinia. The house of
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2560-596: The Crown was the Cathedral of the Savior of Zaragoza from Peter II (12th century). The General Courts of the Crown (the simultaneous meeting of the Courts of Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia) used to gather at Monzón (13th to 16th centuries), the remaining meetings took place at Fraga , Zaragoza , Calatayud and Tarazona . The councillor headquarters were located at Barcelona (13th to 16th centuries) and Naples during
2640-435: The Crown were not united politically except at the level of the king, who ruled over each autonomous polity according to its own laws, raising funds under each tax structure, dealing separately with each Corts or Cortes , particularly the Kingdom of Aragon, the Principality of Catalonia , the Kingdom of Majorca , and the Kingdom of Valencia . The larger Crown of Aragon must not be confused with one of its constituent parts,
2720-491: The Crown. The Greek possessions were permanently lost to Nerio I Acciaioli in 1388 and Sicily was dissociated in the hands of Martin I from 1395 to 1409, but the Kingdom of Naples was added finally in 1442 by the conquest led by Alfonso V . The King's possessions outside of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands were ruled by proxy through local elites as petty kingdoms , rather than subjected directly to
2800-604: The Kingdom of Aragon, from which it takes its name. In 1479, a new dynastic union of the Crown of Aragon with the Crown of Castile by the Catholic Monarchs , joining what contemporaries referred to as "the Spains", led to what would become the Spanish composite monarchy under Habsburg monarchs . The Aragonese Crown continued to exist until it was abolished by the Nueva Planta decrees issued by King Philip V in 1707–1716 as
2880-423: The artist later proved disastrous for the family. Figueres died before the construction had finished, leaving the responsibility of overseeing the final construction to his wife, who grew increasingly frustrated with constant delays due to Gaudí's obsessive detailing. While the months Gaudí dedicated to placing trencadís (his iconic mosaic detailing) on the structure are part of what makes the home so beautiful today,
2960-484: The assault of Montfort's squadrons. Peter himself was caught in the thick of fighting, and died as a result of a foolhardy act of bravado. Thus, the nobility of Toulouse, Foix and other vassals of the Crown of Aragon were defeated. The conflict concluded with the Treaty of Meaux-Paris in 1229, in which the Crown of Aragon agreed to renounce its rights over the south of Occitania with the integration of these territories into
3040-415: The building 1900. Official Webpage: http://www.bellesguardgaudi.com/ 41°24′34″N 2°07′36″E / 41.40944°N 2.12667°E / 41.40944; 2.12667 Sarri%C3%A0-Sant Gervasi Sarrià-Sant Gervasi ( Catalan pronunciation: [səriˈa ˈsaɲ ʒəɾˈβazi] ) is one of the biggest districts of Barcelona , Spain. It is the district with the highest per capita income,
3120-455: The building displays Gaudí's iconic mosaic detailing and incorporation of natural elements, it does not include Moorish accents and bright colors (aside from the stripes on the tower cross), which are key distinctive characteristics in much of his later works. Gaudí was given free rein to design and construct what was intended as a second home for the Jaume family, however this freedom bestowed to
3200-532: The building into a modernist hospital, similar to Sant Pau, dedicated to cancer treatment and research. The building continued to serve medical purposes following Lluís' death in 1969 when his son, Lluís Guilera Soler, a gynecologist and obstetrician, inherited the home and hospital. Several Barcelona citizens were born in Casa Figueres until 1974 when the site of the hospital relocated to a more accessible area better suited to medical needs. From that point on,
3280-468: The bustling urban life of Barcelona began to encroach on their secluded natural sanctuary, the family realized that it was time to open the home to tours to ease the finances required to maintain the unique Gaudí landmark. The family officially began inviting tours in September 2013, offering access to the interior accompanied by explanations of the history and architecture. Casa Figueres is constructed mainly of stone and brick. The general structure measures
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3360-417: The ceilings use a structure of superimposed layers of bricks, also known as the Catalan arc. From the inside, a support mechanism can be seen, resembling an iron spider-web that is used to support the tower's pinnacle. Also only visible from the inside is the dragon Gaudí designed on the terrace as part of the tower base. The slate detailing of the roof illustrate the dragon's tails, with elevated areas to create
3440-708: The dispute between the Anjevins and the Aragonese over Sicily, Pope Boniface VIII created ex novo a Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica and entrusted it as a fief to the Aragonese King James II , ignoring already existing, indigenous states. In 1324, James II finally started to seize the Pisan territories in the former states of Cagliari and Gallura . In 1347 Aragon made war on the Genoese Doria and Malaspina houses, which controlled most of
3520-669: The dominions of the King of France . King James I (13th century) returned to an era of expansion to the South, by conquering and incorporating Majorca , Ibiza , and a good share of the Kingdom of Valencia into the Crown. With the Treaty of Corbeil (1258) , which was based upon the principle of natural frontiers, the Capetians were recognised as heirs of the Carolingian dynasty , and
3600-440: The exterior is made with stone slate. Through Gaudí's incorporation of decorative elements resonant of natural surroundings together with traditional gothic characteristics, the façade of the structure is still best understood as neogothic , though there is no denying the modernist elements in the actual Torre Bellesguard. Gaudí designed the home in a period where he himself was still developing his unique style. For instance, while
3680-485: The family's realization that restoration was necessary, the Guilera family began plans to open their home to the public in 2009. The need for restoration was a particularly strong factor in influencing the Guilera family to open their home to the public, as they realized that in living in such a historic and architectural jewel they also assumed responsibility of its preservation. As areas of the home began to deteriorate and
3760-606: The first ruler of the united dynasty, called himself Count of Barcelona and "Prince of Aragon". Alfonso II inherited two realms and with them, two different expansion processes. The House of Jiménez looked south in a battle against Castile for the control of the middle valley of the Ebro in the Iberian peninsula. The House of Barcelona looked north to its origins, Occitania , where through family ties it had significant influence, especially in Toulouse , Provence and Foix , towards
3840-575: The first to use it were the Genoese and Venetian trading colonies in the eastern Mediterranean after the year 1000. As the use of Lingua Franca spread in the Mediterranean, dialectal fragmentation emerged, the main difference being more use of Italian and Provençal vocabulary in the Middle East, while Ibero-Romance lexical material dominated in the Maghreb. After France became the dominant power in
3920-468: The frontiers and zones of expansion of each kingdom. Alfonso II assured Valencia by renouncing the Aragonese rights of annexing Murcia in exchange for securing the Aragonese frontier with Castile. This action should be seen as result of the aforementioned priority given over the Occitan and Catalan dominions of the Crown of Aragon. From the ninth century, the dukes of Aquitaine , the kings of Navarre ,
4000-476: The garden is the Crown of Aragon's shield, which is engraved with two dates: 1409, noting the completion of the original castle, and 1909, the year in which Gaudi's Torre Bellesguard was completed. The shield also features a rising sun symbolizing these two momentous historical moments. The mosaic benches next to the structure's façade are decorated using the Trancadís technique, however these benches were actually
4080-406: The history of the Crown of Aragon remains a politically loaded topic in modern Spain, especially when it comes to asserting the level of independence enjoyed by constituents of the Crown, like the Principality of Catalonia, which is sometimes used to justify the level of autonomy (or independence) that should be enjoyed by contemporary Catalonia and other territories. The origin of Coat of arms of
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#17327802556794160-421: The home is different from the more gothic exterior, and instead demonstrates Gaudí's modernist style. Gaudí employed unusual placement of many windows to make use of natural light, aided by the white plastered walls, in keeping with his theme of integrating his structures with natural surroundings. The light in the entrance hall is heightened by the coloured glass of the window and the use of iron detailing. Many of
4240-403: The illusion of nostrils, while two windows on either side of the dragon's "profile" create the eyes. The grounds include remaining elements from the 15th century medieval castle, in particular some remains of the original walls which, although mimicked by the gothic aspects of Gaudí's 20th century work that surround them, are still distinguishable from the more modern structure. At the entrance to
4320-487: The influence of Andalusian and Arab culture in Aragon proper. Gothic architecture was also developed. The Mediterranean Lingua Franca was a mixed language used widely for commerce and diplomacy and was also current among slaves of the bagnio , Barbary pirates and European renegades in precolonial Algiers . Among the speakers who created the language, also called Sabir, were Muslims from Aragon called "Tagarins" (a term mentioned by Miguel Cervantes ). Historically,
4400-525: The kingdom of Alfonso V. On the other hand, the General Archive of the Crown of Aragon , which was the official repository of royal documentation of the Crown since the reign of Alfonso II (12th century), was located in the Monastery of Santa María de Sigena until the year 1301 and then moved to Barcelona. In the early 15th century, the de facto capital was Valencia until Alfonso V came to
4480-419: The kingdoms on the Iberian peninsula, save the Kingdoms of Portugal and the Algarve, under one monarch—his co-monarch and mother Queen Joanna I in confinement—thereby furthering the creation of the Spanish monarchy, albeit a composite and decentralized one. The literary evocation of past splendour recalls correctly the great age of the 13th and 14th centuries, when Majorca, Valencia and Sicily were conquered,
4560-412: The lands of the former Logudoro state in north-western Sardinia, and added them to its direct domains. The Giudicato of Arborea , the only remaining independent Sardinian state, proved far more difficult to subdue. The rulers of Arborea developed the ambition to unite all of Sardinia under their rule and create a single Sardinian state, and at a certain point (1368–1388, 1392–1409) almost managed to drive
4640-586: The largest proportion of university degrees and the lowest unemployment rate. Situated on the north-west of the city, surrounded by the districts of Les Corts , Gràcia , Eixample and Horta-Guinardó and by the villages of Sant Just , Sant Feliu , Molins de Rei , and Sant Cugat . It is formed by the old villages of Sarrià (added to Barcelona in 1927), Vallvidrera (added to Sarrià in 1890), Santa Creu d'Olorda (added to Sarrià in 1916), and Sant Gervasi (" Saint Gervasius ") de Cassoles (added to Barcelona in 1897). The first written document found about Sarrià dates from
4720-545: The later dynastic union with the Crown of Castile , considering it the origin of one Spanish nation. The reprisals inflicted on the territories that had fought against Philip V in the War of Succession is given by some Valencian nationalists and Catalan nationalists as an argument against the centralism of Spanish nationalism and in favor of federalism, confederation, or even independence. Some Catalans associated their ancient political status with their Generalitat and resistance to Castile. Because restoration of fueros
4800-406: The latter area in the 19th century, Algerian Lingua Franca was heavily gallicised (to the extent that locals are reported having believed that they spoke French when conversing in Lingua Franca with the Frenchmen, who in turn thought they were speaking Arabic), and this version of the language was spoken into the nineteen hundreds... The similarities contribute to discussions of the classification of
4880-448: The medieval castle that once stood on the same site, built for the King of Aragon in the early 15th century. When the King of Aragon died without an heir in 1410, his widow, Margaret of Prades , inherited the estate. Following her death, the castle fell into decline and was passed from hand to hand over centuries until Jaume Figueres purchased the estate in 1900. When Jaume Figueres and his wife, María Sagues Molíns, commissioned Gaudí for
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#17327802556794960-441: The nobles and towns united in Zaragoza to demand a confirmation of their privileges, which the king had to accept in 1283. Thus began the Union of Aragon , which developed the power of the Justícia to mediate between the king and the Aragonese bourgeois. When James II of Aragon completed the conquest of the Kingdom of Valencia, the Crown of Aragon established itself as one of the major powers in Europe. In 1297, to solve
5040-514: The old Aragonese Crown lands in Spain (1707–1716). The Crown of Aragon and its institutions and public law were abolished between 1707 and 1716 only after the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) by the Nueva Planta decrees , issued by Philip V of Spain . The original political structure was swept away, the administration was subsumed into the Castilian laws, the states of the Crown of Aragon loss their status of separate entitites and were united formally with those of Castile to legally form
5120-438: The original building has served the purpose that Gaudí always intended—a private home. For the past 30 years, the Guilera family has left the gates open permitting guests to stroll the gardens and observe the home's exquisite exterior. Over the years, they received countless requests from visitors to explore inside the home and enjoy Gaudí's more modernist interior detailing. Both due to the popular demand from visitors as well as
5200-399: The permanent political capital, but not the economic or administrative capital, owing to the obligation for kings to be crowned at the Cathedral of the Savior of Zaragoza . During the Crown of Aragon, the Catalan culture and language underwent a vigorous expansion. During the period of trade, Occitan-Catalan contributions to Maltese occurred. King Fernando II and Queen Isabella , as
5280-447: The population growth could be handled without social conflict, and the urban prosperity, which peaked in 1345, created the institutional and cultural achievements of the Crown. The Aragonese crown's wealth and power stagnated and its authority was steadily transferred to the new Spanish crown settled in Castile after that date—the demographic growth was partially offset by the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492), Muslims (1502) and
5360-413: The process added such significant time and cost to the construction that Molíns was never actually able to live in the home and even had to sell it to avoid bankruptcy. The house changed hands for several years until the Guilera family purchased the home in 1944 and has continued to own it for over 70 years. When Lluís Guilera Molas first bought Casa Figueres in 1944, the esteemed doctor intended to convert
5440-452: The project in 1900, all that remained of the initial structure were a few walls and the patio. Still, Gaudí was aware of the important history this location bore to Catalonia, so he worked to preserve the medieval spirit of the ruins, as is evident in the exterior resemblance to a medieval castle, complemented by signature aspects of Gaudí's architectural style. As always, Gaudí sought to blend the construction with its natural surroundings, hence
5520-416: The site's significance to the crown of Aragon . At the entrance of the house, one can find an inscription that reads, “Maria Purrisima sens pecat fou concebuda,” meaning “Purest Maria, conceived without sin.” Above the entrance door is a stunning stained glass window in the form of the 8-pointed star of Venus . Casa Figueres consists of a ground floor, a main floor, a basement, and an attic. The interior of
5600-464: The south along the Mediterranean coast and towards the Mediterranean sea . Soon, Alfonso II of Aragon and I of Barcelona committed to conquering Valencia as the Aragonese nobility demanded. Like his father, he gave priority to the expansion and consolidation of the House of Barcelona 's influence in Occitania. Alfonso II signed the treaties of Cazorla , a multilateral treaty between Navarre , Aragon , León , Portugal, and Castile to redefine
5680-451: The throne in 1162. This union respected the existing institutions and parliaments of both territories. The combined state was initially known as Regno, Dominio et Corona Aragonum et Catalonie (only between 1286-1291), and later as Corona Regum Aragoniae , Corona Aragonum or simply Aragon . Petronilla's father King Ramiro, "The Monk" (reigned 1134–1137) who was raised in the Monastery of Saint Pons de Thomières, Viscounty of Béziers as
5760-521: The throne. During the 15th and the 16th centuries, the Crown's de facto capital was Naples . After Alfonso V of Aragon , Ferdinand II of Aragon settled the capital in Naples. Alfonso, in particular, wanted to transform Naples into a real Mediterranean capital and lavished huge sums to embellish it further. Later the courts were itinerant until Philip II of Spain . The Spanish historian Domingo Buesa Conde has argued that Zaragoza ought to be considered
5840-531: The transition to the Early Modern state. Thus, the new territories gained from the Moors —namely Valencia and Majorca—were given furs as an instrument of self-government in order to limit the power of nobility in these new acquisitions and, at the same time, increase their allegiance to the monarchy itself. The trend in the neighbouring kingdom of Castile was quite similar, both kingdoms giving impetus to
5920-849: The twin Duchy of Athens and Neopatras in Latin Greece . In the Late Middle Ages, the southward territorial expansion of the Aragonese Crown in the Iberian Peninsula stopped in Murcia, which eventually consolidated as a realm of the Crown of Castile , the Kingdom of Murcia . Subsequently, the Aragonese Crown focused on the Mediterranean, governing as far afield as Greece and the Barbary Coast , whereas Portugal, which completed its southward expansion in 1249, would focus on
6000-415: The work of Gaudi's apprentice, Domènec Sugrañes i Gras , whose style is characterized as more uniform and Roman when compared to Gaudi's more uneven approach. Also in the garden is an iron cross, suspected to have been constructed by Gaudí himself (instead of one of his apprentices). The term Bellesguard comes from the Catalan for "Beautiful View", representing the fact that the building lies at halfway up
6080-666: The year 987, and the origins of the village are a Roman colony. The old Monestir de Pedralbes belonged to the village of Sarrià, and it is now the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza . Today, Sarrià still retains a village atmosphere, even in the middle of Barcelona, with narrow streets and small houses. The main street of Sarrià is Major de Sarrià . The main market in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is the Mercat de Sarrià on Passeig Reina Elisenda, which opened in 1900 and
6160-525: Was a dynastic union which became the constituent event for the dawn of the Monarchy of Spain . At that point both the Castile and the states of the Crown of Aragon remained distinct polities, each keeping its own traditional institutions, parliaments and laws. The process of territorial consolidation was completed when their grandson King Charles I , known as Emperor Charles V, in 1516 ruled over all of
6240-446: Was an additional important city and seaport. The Crown of Aragon eventually included the Kingdom of Aragon , the Principality of Catalonia (until the late 12th century the County of Barcelona and others), the Kingdom of Valencia , the Kingdom of Majorca , the Kingdom of Sicily , Malta , the Kingdom of Naples and Kingdom of Sardinia . For brief periods the Crown of Aragon also controlled Montpellier , Provence , Corsica , and
6320-399: Was one of its tenets, Carlism won support in the lands of the Crown of Aragon during the 19th century. The Romanticism of the 19th century Catalan Renaixença movement evoked a "Pyrenean realm" that corresponded more to the vision of 13th century troubadours than to the historical reality of the Crown. This vision survives today as "a nostalgic programme of politicised culture". Thus,
6400-739: Was renovated in 1967 and again in 2007. Part of the Collserola mountain belongs to the district, where the Tibidabo and the Observatori Fabra are, and it is a popular place to promenade by bike or by foot or to stop by the road to Sant Cugat , with impressive views over the city. [REDACTED] It is divided in these neighbourhoods (some of them include traditional or non-administrative neighbourhoods): The preschool through lower secondary campus of Istituto Italiano Statale Comprensivo di Barcellona , an Italian international school,
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