El Capricho, Modernist museum in Comillas, Spain.
Description
El Capricho is a museum designed by Antoni Gaudí in Comillas, housed in a residential building with a cylindrical tower and green-and-white tile helix on the outer wall. Wrought iron balconies, ceramic sunflower tiles, and arches that suggest Eastern influences divide the facade horizontally, while the tower pulls the building upward.
History
Máximo Díaz de Quijano commissioned the young Gaudí in 1883 to design the house, which was built during Spain's economic expansion. The patron demanded fast completion, so he moved in before all the work was finished.
Culture
The villa carries the nickname Villa Quijano after its first resident and stands as one of three works by the architect outside Catalonia. Throughout the house, visitors encounter sunflower motifs that appear in tiles, ironwork, and glass windows, running from the basement to the tower top.
Practical
Guided tours are offered daily in several languages and last about one hour, with visitors walking through all the rooms and viewing the outdoor grounds. The site sits on the edge of Comillas, about a twenty-minute walk from the center.
Did you know?
Four entrance columns were meant to align with the cardinal directions, but the rear two remained unfinished because the owner wanted to move in immediately. A chime in the tower used to play a melody automatically at sunrise.
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