This year marks the 100th anniversary of Gaudi
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of an architect who forever dramatically altered Barcelona’s skyline, and that city and its surrounding region of Catalonia are paying tribute to him.
Antoni Gaudi is best known for designing the famed and dramatic Sacred Family Basilica, a Barcelona icon, and fitting tributes to him are being held.
“We will have really big events in the city. It’s a really important year for us,” Johanna Zambrano of Barcelona’s Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi’s most celebrated works and a World Heritage Site-recognized structure, said during a recent Catalan Tourist Board event in Toronto.
Pope Leo XIV will visit the basilica on June 10, the exact day marking the centennial of Gaudí’s death.
Casa Batllo bills itself as a “leading cultural attraction, offering visitors an immersive experience that brings Gaudi’s vision to life through innovative technology and careful restoration.”
Zambrano in turn labelled Casa Batllo a “living masterpiece.”
Aicard Guinovart, the tourist board’s North American director, said Barcelona is Catalonia’s most popular destination but visitors shouldn’t limit their Catalonia vacations to Barcelona.
“Of course, Barcelona is very well known,” he said. “Now we’re letting people know that there is more.”
Among other points of interest is Figueres, hometown of famed artist Salvador Dali. It now has a museum dedicated to him.
Guinovart added that seaside Tarragona has the “most preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy.”
Among those attending the Catalonia event were Patrick Torrent, executive director, Catalan Tourist Board; Christabel Sundram, Huntington Travel; Rudolph Nareen, Astor Travels; and Aincard Guinovart, director of the Catalan Tourist Board, North American office.
Water enthusiasts will appreciate the Costa Brava.
This summer will see the storied Tour de France cycling race begin in Barcelona on July 4 — the first time the city has ever served as a starting point for the weeks-long competition — and Guinovart also noted that Catalonia will be a prime viewing spot for the Aug. 12 solar eclipse, prompting him to state, ” Every month we have something big.”
Catalonia has its own language and culture that distinguish it from the rest of Spain.
Barcelona has in the past made headlines because of people protesting the number of tourists visiting the city, but Guinovart said there haven’t been any anti-tourist demonstrations in two years and the backlash was linked to a rapid surge in visitors following the waning of the pandemic.
Much of the protesters’ anger was directed at AirBNBs in the city, he added.
Guinovart said around 20% of Barcelona residents work in tourism and realize its importance to the municipal economy.
“Of course they will be welcome,” he said of those visiting Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Curro Sanchez of Barcelona’s Grupo Cordobes notes that his family run firm features two venues offering flamenco performances: the historic Tablao Flamenco Cordobes and El Duende Barcelona.
“It’s a very rich music genre,” Sanchez said of flamenco, which has numerous styles and is arguably Spain’s most famous cultural expression.
Sanchez added there are days when “the best flamenco performers in Spain” can be seen by his company’s clients.
