Casa Martí, Residential building in Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Spain
Casa Martí is a residential building in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, designed by architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch in 1896 in the Catalan modernisme style. The facade features pointed arches on the ground floor, stained-glass windows, decorated balconies, and stone carvings across its surface.
The building was constructed in 1896 for the family of Francesc Vilumara, with sculptor Eusebi Arnau and ironworker Manuel Ballarín contributing decorative elements. It is now listed as a Cultural Asset of National Interest, a protected status in Spain.
The ground floor once held Els Quatre Gats, a gathering place for artists like Picasso, Casas, and Rusiñol between 1897 and 1903. Today the same space operates again as a restaurant, and visitors can walk in to see the interior decor that echoes that earlier creative period.
The building is on Carrer Montsió 3 in the Gothic Quarter, within easy walking distance of the main central areas. Since the upper floors remain a private residence, only the street-level view of the facade is freely accessible.
The statue of Saint Joseph by Josep Llimona on the corner of the building is not the original: it was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and replaced afterward. Looking closely, the corner sculpture sits slightly apart in style from the other decorative carving on the facade.
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