Casa Alegre de Sagrera, Art Nouveau mansion in Terrassa, Spain.
Casa Alegre de Sagrera is a U-shaped house-museum at Font Vella street, 29, in Terrassa, with a symmetrical eclectic facade, Art Nouveau wrought-iron balconies on the first floor and gallery-like windows on the second. A relief by Alexandre de Riquer on the facade depicts the feats of its first owner in the war against Napoleon.
The house dates from the early 19th century as the family home of textile manufacturer Joaquim de Sagrera, who fought in the Peninsular War. Damaged during the Napoleonic invasion, it was rebuilt in the early 20th century for Francesc Alegre i Roig and Mercè de Sagrera by municipal architect Melcior Viñals, who gave it its present Art Nouveau form.
The three surviving 19th-century salons have painted ceilings depicting the conquest of Mexico, the story of Solomon and biblical scenes. The dining room's ornamental panel was painted in 1901 by Alexandre de Riquer for the Institut Industrial de Terrassa. The house also holds the Salvans collection of oriental ceramics and porcelain.
Access is on foot through the street entrance and leads directly into the main rooms of the residence. Allow enough time to view all the spaces and examine the details throughout.
In the 1970s, citizens and the local museum worked together to save the house from being altered or demolished. This early preservation effort made it an important example of heritage protection in Catalonia.
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