{"id":2768,"date":"2017-08-08T13:46:46","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T13:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tiqets-blog-staging.local\/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-antoni-gaudi\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T06:58:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T06:58:11","slug":"8-things-you-didnt-know-about-antoni-gaudi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-antoni-gaudi\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Things You Didn\u2019t Know About Antoni Gaud\u00ed","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>\u2013&nbsp;This post was written by&nbsp;Becky Wicks \u2013<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re heading to Barcelona your eyeballs will be awed by the work of Antoni Gaud\u00ed. His colorful mosaics and surreal architecture draw thousands of visitors to the city each year, but the man himself remains as mysterious as his work. Here are 8 things you probably didn\u2019t know about Antoni Gaud\u00ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-content-type=\"product\" data-item_count=\"4\" data-destination-type=\"city\" data-destination-id=\"66342\" data-partner=\"tiqetsblog\" data-tq-campaign=\"8ThingsAboutGaudi\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-gaudi-and-dali-had-a-bromance\">1. Gaud\u00ed and Dali had a bromance<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/pjimage-min.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/pjimage-min-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Antoni Gaud\u00ed\" class=\"wp-image-2950\" style=\"width:1000px;height:637px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surrealists clearly see eye-to-melting eye<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of Gaud\u00ed\u2019s biggest fans was fellow<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> eccentric Catalan artist,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Salvador Dal\u00ed. The two men delighted in disobeying realism\u2019s traditional rules, and Dal\u00ed said of Gaud\u00ed: &#8220;Those who have not tasted his superbly creative bad taste are traitors&#8221;. A compliment, if ever there was one. He often admired the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia\u2019s &#8220;terrifying and edible beauty,&#8221; and even said it should be kept under a glass dome, in order to preserve it. Weirdos attract weirdos, clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-it-all-began-with-some-lampposts\">2. It all began with some lampposts<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_659566696-min.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/shutterstock_659566696-min.jpg\" alt=\"Antoni Gaud\u00ed\" class=\"wp-image-2951\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There are few streets and squares in Barcelona that haven&#8217;t been touched by Gaud\u00ed&#8217;s genius<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pla\u00e7a Reial, the bustling square off La Rambla also features some beautiful lampposts, which were all designed by\u2026 you guessed it&#8230; young Gaud\u00ed. These were actually his first work assignment, given after he graduated from the Barcelona Architectural School. Moving on he continued to decorate pretty much every street in the city with his work! Don\u2019t be afraid to start small, folks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-he-never-got-the-girl\">3. He never got the girl<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Gaud\u00ed was a genius, but a serious workaholic. He dedicated so much of his time to his work that the poor guy never managed to maintain much of a love life. He did rather fancy a lady called Josefa Moreu, but sadly it was one-sided and by the time he admitted his feelings for this kindergarten teacher\/ French professor, she had already accepted someone else\u2019s proposal. At least he had an outlet for his frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-picasso-and-gaudi-were-rivals\">4. Picasso and Gaud\u00ed were rivals<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/pjimage-1-min.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/pjimage-1-min-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Antoni Gaud\u00ed\" class=\"wp-image-2952\" style=\"width:1000px;height:637px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSend Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia to Hell\u201d. Well geez Picasso: tell us how you really feel!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems Surrealists and Cubists view reality a little differently. While Gaud\u00ed and Dali were buddies, often bigging up each other\u2019s work, Picasso and Gaud\u00ed never saw eye to eye. In spite of making art their life\u2019s work, Picasso spent a lot of time dissing the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia,&nbsp;Gaud\u00ed\u2019s <em>magnum opus<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-he-was-a-vegetarian\">5. He was a vegetarian<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gaud\u00ed was a sickly chap who converted to a vegetarian diet to improve his health. It didn&#8217;t help. Of course, vegetarian or not, his diet was&#8230; peculiar. He would tuck into <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">breakfasts of burned toast, and at lunchtime he\u2019d dip his lettuce leaves in milk and sprinkle them with nuts and oil.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Whether it helped his rheumatism or not, no one knows, but it doesn&#8217;t sound very healthy. Gaud\u00ed also turned frequently to a German priest called Dr. Kneipp, who prescribed him natural medicines and hydrotherapy. They seemed to have a similar lack of effect on the overworked genius.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-he-wore-weird-shoes-and-underwear\">6. He wore weird shoes and underwear<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gaud\u00ed met his maker at the age of 72, after he was run over by a tram. Unfortunately, due to hardships in his life (and his own lack of interest in fashion), he was shabbily dressed when it happened. In fact, nobody on the scene recognized the renowned architect, mistaking him for a beggar. When he was later undressed it was discovered that his underpants were held together by safety pins. It\u2019s also said that at times he wore shoes made from courgette roots, and his suits were known for being speckled with green mold. &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-he-still-might-become-a-saint\">7. He still might become a saint<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/sagrada-familia-gaudi-min.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tiqets-cdn\/wordpress\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/sagrada-familia-gaudi-min.jpg\" alt=\"Antoni Gaud\u00ed\" class=\"wp-image-2953\" style=\"height:637px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gaud\u00ed put a lot more work into his RE homework than I ever did&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gaud\u00ed\u2019s dedication to religion earned him the name \u2018God\u2019s Architect,\u2019 amongst his fans. You can see his faith in Catholicism clearly in works like the Nativity scene at the East fa\u00e7ade of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/barcelona-c66342\/sagrada-familia-fast-track-p918256\">Sagrada Familia<\/a>, and the whole of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia itself! In 1992, the Association for the Beatification of Antoni Gaud\u00ed suggested he become a saint. It\u2019s up to the Vatican whether it happens or not, but there\u2019s a whole lot of plaques that will have to be changed if it does.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-he-was-a-political-activist\">8. He was a political activist<\/h2>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s agreed that most Catalan men are proud and fearless, Gaud\u00ed was such a strong believer in an independent Catalan state (which has been around since the 8th century AD) that some tried to get him into politics as a career. Thankfully he still preferred architecture, although he was often involved in protests and riots. He even spent some time in jail, twice! Rebel.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"if-youre-a-gaudi-fan-this-post-on-gaudi-essentials-in-barcelona-is-a-must-for-planning-your-visit-to-barcelona-you-can-also-find-7-interesting-ways-to-spend-a-weekend-in-the-stunning-city-not-much-of\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>If you&#8217;re a Gaud\u00ed fan, this post on Gaud\u00ed Essentials in Barcelona is a must for planning your visit to Barcelona.<\/strong> You can also find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/weekend-in-barcelona\/\">7 interesting ways<\/a> to spend a weekend in the stunning city. Not much of a fan? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/what-to-see-in-barcelona-if-youre-not-a-gaudi-fan\/\">There&#8217;s plenty more to see<\/a> in this Spanish gem.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Antoni Gaud\u00ed&#8217;s surreal architectural oddities draw thousands of visitors to Barcelona each year, but how much do you know about the man himself?<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":39,"featured_media":19213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[26,28,27],"class_list":["post-2768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","tag-amsterdam","tag-europe","tag-the-netherlands"],"acf":[],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2768"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20655,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2768\/revisions\/20655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}