La Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens (Vicens House) does not look like the other houses made by Antoni Gaudí like the Casa Milà or Casa Batlló. This was his first important commission, the inspiration is not yet naturalist, but already the genius of the architect shows at every detail of the building as well outside as inside. A work of youth that foreshadows what will become, a few years later, Catalan Modernism. A major work by Gaudi, the 8th and last to be rewarded by UNESCO!

Buy now skip the line Casa Vicens tickets at 16 €

Sponsor: Manuel Vicens Montaner 

The Casa Vicens was built between 1883 and 1888 in the peaceful neighborhood of Gracia. The owner, Manuel Vicens Montaner, is a tile manufacturer who is not unhappy to choose this young architect of 31 years passionate about technique, stone, brick and tiles. The first idea of ​​Gaudí will be to draw inspiration from the carnations of India of the garden of the Casa Vicens to design the printed pattern of its tiling initiating thus what will later become his custom to use nature as model. Also influenced by oriental art (India, Persia, Japan), he made it a hallmark for this house, which will be received with enthusiasm by the Barcelona citizens of the time, much better than his future creations.

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The orientalist inspiration of Casa Vicens

Gaudí, with all the benefits of the profession of ceramics manufacturer from Manuel Vicens Montaner, exploited all the advantages offered by his Orientalist knowledge. The use of azulejos, use of plaster tiles but also arabesques, coffered ceilings, marquetry, fountains and basins. The style of this house is called neo-Mudejar in reference to the use of these materials of artistic constructions brought by Muslims for buildings built in the south of Spain especially in Seville, Toledo and Saragossa from the twelfth century.

The exterior of Casa Vicens

Gaudí is still looking for his own style. The house is made of straight lines and seems very simple in its forms, but it is in the details that points his genius which is already inspired by nature. Thus leaves of dwarf palms serve as a model for the magnificent wrought iron grid that surrounds the building. These are carnations of India or tagets, again, which inspire the ceramics of orange and green color that cover the external wall. Bricks, colored ceramics and stones serve to reinforce, on the three other facades, geometric shapes and oriental motifs. Gaudi is young but already freed from the architectural constraints of his time.

The interior of the Casa Vicens

The interior of the house is 698m2. Its decoration is also inspired by nature and the nazari art coming from Granada. Floor with mosaics, walls adorned with climbing ivy, ceiling decorated with stucco stalactites.

Useful information

Visit of the Casa Vicens

Completed in 1885, Casa Vicens was inhabited for 130 years. It was bought by the Andorran bank MoraBanc in 2014 which undertook enormous restoration work to transform the place into a museum, opened to the public in november 2017. 

Price of the visit of the Casa Vicens

From 16€
 

Schedules of the visit of Casa Vincens

Daily, 10:00 - 20:00, last admission 19:20

Buy now skip the line Casa Vicens tickets at 16 €

Where is Casa Vincens?

It is situated at Carrer de les Carolines, 24

You can access it with the following lines :

L3-Fontana

22, 24, 27, 32, 87, 92, 114, V17

L6-Sant Gervasi, L7-Plaça Molina