Castle of the Three Dragons, Modernist castle in Parc de la Ciutadella, Spain
The Castle of the Three Dragons is a modernist structure in Parc de la Ciutadella featuring four towers, brick walls, and ornate ceramic tiles arranged across its square footprint. The building integrates medieval architectural elements with industrial materials such as decorative ironwork that forms geometric patterns across its facade.
The castle was built in 1888 for Barcelona's Universal Exhibition and initially served as a cafe-restaurant before later becoming part of the Natural Sciences Museum. This transformation shows how the pavilion shifted its purpose to meet the city's evolving needs over time.
The name comes from a theatrical work by Serafí Pitarra and reflects architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner's vision for Catalan identity through its design. Visitors can observe how the building blends historical castle forms with contemporary materials to express regional pride.
The museum with its collections is housed inside this structure and is accessible to visitors during regular opening hours, though certain areas may be reserved for research purposes. It is worth checking in advance which exhibition areas are available during your visit to make the most of your time there.
The structure deliberately mixes medieval castle forms with materials like brick and cast iron typically used in modern factories, which was completely novel at the time. This unusual approach made it a pioneer of the Catalan Modernism movement and influenced architects throughout the region who followed.
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