Antoni Gaudí: A Fantastic Architect

Antoni Gaudí was more than an architect; he was an artist who left reliable evidence of his ingenuity and sensitivity in each of his works. His style is unique and not to be mistaken. There is a reason why many of his buildings are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Gaudí had three great passions: nature, art and religion. To each of these areas he dedicated his life, talent and abilities. He had practically no personal life, because he devoted himself entirely to his work and to his beliefs.

Although his particular way of looking at architecture was highly respected in his own time, it may have been after his death that people opened their eyes to his unique talent. Today he is known as one of the most important architects of all time. Not only that, but many people also devote a lot of time and effort to studying his work.

Antoni Gaudí, a shy child

One of the most remarkable things about Antoni Gaudí’s life was that he was born into a family of craftsmen. The last five generations before he produced copper products. For example , the father and his two grandparents were boiler manufacturers. That is, they made barrels for the distillation of grapes in Tarragona.

Gaudí often pointed out that the visions of his great works came to him during his childhood, that being around the family while they worked made him experience the world as three-dimensional. For him, all rigid material and large objects were malleable. Thus, he later applied this unique concept in his own designs.

No one can determine with certainty whether Gaudí was born in Reus or Riudoms. He himself is said to have claimed to come from both places at different times. What we do know is that his date of birth is June 25, 1852. It is also documented that he had a fragile health, so his parents decided to baptize him under the Catholic Church the day after his birth. They chose to perform the baptism so early because they were worried that he would not live long.

Antoni was a sick child. This led him to become an introvert, and spent a lot of time observing nature. Gaudí’s architectural design always imitated organic forms found in nature. Thus, he preferred the more natural curves from the surroundings over the straight lines that are typical of blueprints. All this led to his unique style.

Another type of architect

After his family moved to Barcelona, ​​Antoni Gaudí started at the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1874. That same year, he developed his first designs and immersed himself in the study of different forms of architecture from different cultures.

In 1876, both his mother and his brother died. His mother was 57 years old and his brother was only 25 years old. The brother had recently trained as a doctor. This tragedy was a powerful blow to Gaudí. Thus, he was forced to work as a part-time draftsman in order to be able to afford to complete his education.

Three years later, Antoni experienced another tragedy. Rosa, his only living sister, also died. She left a daughter for whom Gaudí took responsibility and took care of her. That same year he met Eusebio Güell, who later became a good friend and his patron. Thus, Antoni became more popular.

Accident and honor

Antoni Gaudí loved only one woman throughout her life. Their name is Pepeta Moreu. She was an embroiderer who wrote to him to tell him that the banner for the Cooperativa Obrera Mataronense he had ordered was too complicated. It was love at first sight.

After that, he started eating at Pepeta’s house every Sunday. He usually brought with him Rosa, his little niece. When he finally proposed to Pepeta, he was rejected. Antoni Gaudí was not exactly a supermodel. In fact, he was considered unattractive. Some sources believe Pepeta rejected him because she could not marry a man who “wore a mustache full of snot”.

It was at this time, around 1883, that he began to construct his masterpiece: the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, in Barcelona. He also became a hermit (anacoret) and more mysterious and religious. At the same time, he became even more dedicated to his work than ever before. The man attended a Catholic Mass several times a day, and exposed himself to all kinds of fasts, which of course was a risk considering that he already had a fragile health in the first place.

And it was not long before he also had to overcome the tragedy of the death of his father and his young niece. On top of this also came the death of his good friend, Eusebio Güell.

Antoni Gaudí was hit by a car in 1926. Due to his unscrupulous appearance, he was suspected of being a beggar, and the authorities brought him to a charity. He died three days later. Barcelona are still mourning his death to this day.