The unknown fountain of Gaudí

The sculptural ensemble remained hidden for years in the gardens of the Pedralbes Palace

fountain of Gaudí

The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Güell Park, Casa Milà … The work of Antoni Gaudí is world famous. His legacy remains more alive than ever and a century later Catalan is able to attract millions of people who crowd at the doors of these – and other buildings – to delight in his talented modernist style. The legacy of Gaudí is broad, with great works that elevated him and other more unknown that surprise those who discover them for the first time. Is this the case of the Hercules Fountain of the Palau Reial de Pedralbes?

It is, surely, one of the most secret works of Antoni Gaudí. So much so, that for many years was ignored, remaining hidden behind the vegetation of the place for those who worked for much of the twentieth century in maintaining the palace. Until 1984: since then, the source of Hercules, or of Gaudí, can be visited, restored and functioning, in the gardens of this emblematic corner of the city.

The story of this ‘forgotten’ work of Gaudí goes back to 1884, when the artist was commissioned by the politician Eusebi Güell, his patron, to design the gardens of the estate of 30,000 square meters he had acquired a few months earlier in the area Diagonal . To reform the exteriors of the old farmhouse of Can Feliu, Gaudí opted for mythology, recreating the legend of the garden of the Hesperides.

This tells the story of Heracles (or Hercules), who was able to steal golden apples from the garden of the goddess Hera, which, according to beliefs, guaranteed immortality. This idyllic and magical place was guarded by a dragon, Ladon, who after falling defeated by the god Atlas began to shed tears of blood. From every tear, by the way, a dragon was born. Hence Hercules and this animal are the two protagonists of this source realized in the most orientalist stage of the sculptor, and that is marked by the artistic influences of regions like Persia or Japan.

Most of the recovery of this work is the architect Ignasi Serra, who discovered during a cleaning project in the exterior of the palace this source hidden among the vegetation. The source had a curved bench and a stone sink with the coat of arms of Catalonia, a central column with a pedestal -empty- and a spout with the morphology of a wrought iron dragon.

All the elements of the source found are original, except the bust of Hercules. There are old photographs showing a large bust of the god on the pedestal, figure that was not found during the discovery of Ignasi Serra. In this way, the image of Hercules is the most recent of a sober sculptural set that integrates with the nature of the gardens of the Palace of Pedralbes and that since 1984 returns to emanate water after many years of silence.

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The generosity of Gino Bartali

The Italian champion brings a significant amount for the construction of the Sagrada Familia

Bartali at Tour de France in 1937

“One such Bartali, who seems to be cyclist, has given a major donation. Now you pluck hard. ” Eusebio Güell de Sentmenat, grandson of the patron of Antoni Gaudí, recounts the scene that he lived in his early twenties and his father, then treasurer of the construction of the Sagrada Familia, became excited home. “At that time the building of the temple was a constant struggle, there was much opposition to that end, including architects,” Guell explains, “and everything depended on donations, which were insufficient. My father did not understand sport, but I knew that I was a good follower of cycling, and explained the donation Bartali excited. ”

But how he brought the flying monk recognized Catholic who used to offer their victories to the Pope? Eusebio Guell explains: “I do not remember exactly how much, but I think it was something like a hundred thousand pesetas, a fabulous figure, undoubtedly an important contribution that made exclaim to my father that this helps the Sagrada Familia experience a turning momentum. ”

Guell estimated that everything must have happened around 1950 and assumes that Bartali had to go through Barcelona “for a career or as a tourist,” and certainly as a pious man who was visited the temple of Gaudí. “He wanted to work and did live up to their potential and their faith, certainly,” he explains.

Bartali, winner of three editions of the Giro d’Italia and Tour two of these separated by ten years (a feat no one has matched), is a legend in Italy. But not only for his sporting achievements, but also for other personal actions that have crossed borders.

In July 1948 the Communist leader Palmiro Togliatti was the victim of an attack, shot in the neck, and hovered between life and death. Bartali, who was in the Tour, received a distress call from the prime minister, Alcide de Gasperi, old friend of Catholic Action. “Gino, help us, Italy is on the brink of insurrection, only say the feat would help us a lot.”

The next day, under a snowfall, the Tour was facing the Alps. Bartali accused a delay of about 20 minutes Louison Bobet. Cannes to Briancon, the Izoard, the Italian prevailed and the news was full and tumultuous meeting of the Chamber of Deputies. In moments of great confusion a voice rose: “Bartali has conquered the stage and is the new leader.”

The next day, in Aix-les-Bains, he won again. On the third day in Lausanne again. Leader Tour lead and practically in his pocket. As explained years later Giulio Andreotti, “say the civil war by a victory in the Tour de France is definitely avoided excessive, but certainly Bartali helped ease tensions.” When Togliatti awoke after surgery on his skull his first words were: “What did Bartali?”.

But still they had to discover more amazing stories of the Florentine rider. The latest, three years after his death, through historical research that revealed the Corriere della Sera. Gino Bartali was part of a network in the region of Pisa who saved more than 800 Jews from deportation between 1943 and 1944. He walked the roads of Tuscany in their training and worked with a Jewish accounting of Pisa,
Giorgio Nissim, next to several priests and nuns.

Bartali carrying, hidden in the picture of your bike, photos and documents that were used to produce identity cards. He deposited them in convents, where they had a clandestine press. In 2003, following the discovery of these acts of war, his son Andrea said: “My father never talked about what he did in those years. He said only that in life there are things that are done and just “.

Even without direct intervention came to save lives. In 1943 Antonio Davitti a guard on the island of Elba, was deported to Dachau. A German officer knew of his Tuscan home and asked him if he knew Bartali. Davitti took from his wallet a photo dedicated cyclist. “Give it to me and prepares a list of twenty prisoners, not regret.” Four days later the elected left the camp to be moved to a factory. They had saved his life.

The sporting decline coincided with the glory Bartali and Fausto Coppi, with whom he had epic duels. Coppi Bartali godly against the libertine. Their collaboration to spend a full bottle of water in ascension is a graphic icon of the sport.

A late fifties they shared in the RAI television shows. They even sang a duet with ironic tone. Gino “Ed io ripenso to quel lontano / le lotte nostre sui sui monti and piano / e sulle Alpi … coperte of nevi tempo” and tore Fausto replied: “… come perdevi, eat perdevi” (how you lost).

In September 2013 Israel Bartali named Righteous among the Nations, a booth who helped Jews during the world war recognition.

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La Sagrada Familia began work on top of its central tower in 2016

The basilica place from 23th to 25th October, an open house with sold out tickets

Sagrada-Familia-Barcelona

The chief architect of the Sagrada Familia, Jordi Faulí, planned on Wednesday at the new Creuer Hall of Barcelonian basilica, of the temple designed by Antoni Gaudí, than will be completed in 2026.
In a press conference to show progress in the work of Gaudí, Faulí explained that in 2016 will begin the construction of the upper part of the central towers, namely, that of Jesus Christ, Mary and the four Evangelists.

However, the chief architect stressed that “these central towers begin to be visible only from the outside since 2017, and will end altogether in 2020, still lacking the pinnacles”.
The event was held at the Creuer Chamber of the Sagrada Familia, a new space that is at the basis of what will be the tower of Jesus Christ, so just above the main hall of the building, to be used for purposes explanatory in tourist visits.

Open Day

The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia held from 23 to 25 October open house and for those who have exhausted the 30,000 tickets made available to the citizens free to visit the temple. The planned open day will be organized in different slots between 16 and 20 hours, and the temple has created a video in which emphasizes that begins the work of its central towers.

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Sagrada Familia Barcelona video

Enjoy the Sagrada Familia video.

Antonio Gaudí is the maximum exponent of the called Catalan architectural modernism. It is based on nature, the influence of the Gothic Revival in eastern trends and the use of geometric shapes such as paraboloid hyperboloid, the helicoid and the conoid. Another feature is that the sculpture is integrated into the architecture. His masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, was launched on 19 March 1882 by the architect Paula del Villar and directed by Gaudí, from late 1883 until 1926, the year of his death. The temple, which lasted more than 130 years, thanks to donations and tickets is financed though, as Gaudí said:

The work of the Sagrada Familia is slow, because my client is in no hurry. The temple will have 18 towers representing the 12 apostles, evangelists 4 towers and 2 bigger domes or towers: one dedicated to the Virgin and over, the highest with 170 meters, Jesus.

Three facades represent the human life of Jesus, from the day birth until death: Nativity facade, with 3 frames (Faith, Hope and Charity); Passion Facade, also with 3 frames (Faith, Hope and Charity) and the facade of the Gloria, which is the main and allowing the entrance to the nave.
The interior symbolizes the heavenly Jerusalem, the columns representing the apostles, the whole illuminated by hundreds of stained glass (windows). The Latin cross is the altar of the crypt and is surrounded by seven apse chapels. Before the altar a cruise of 3 ships, with the facades of the Birth and Passion is located.

Longitudinally central body of five ships with the Portal of Glory is located. The interior has the structure of a forest with tree columns to support the vaults. With 110 meters long and 80 wide, the capacity is 14,000.

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