Casa Vicens

Gaudí's first major building in Barcelona — Oriental in inspiration, covered in vivid ceramics, and open as a museum since 2017. Less famous but equally captivating.

Casa Vicens in Barcelona's Gràcia neighborhood is Antoni Gaudí's first major building and one of his least-known masterpieces. Built between 1883 and 1885 as a summer house for ceramics manufacturer Manuel Vicens i Montaner, the building already contains the seeds of the mature Gaudí style: a playful mixing of Oriental, Moorish, and Catalan influences, an exuberant use of colorful ceramic tiles, and the organic forms that would reach their pinnacle in the Sagrada Família. Casa Vicens has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 as part of the ensemble of Antoni Gaudí's works. Open to the public since 2017, it allows visitors to trace the origins of Gaudí's fascinating world — well away from the city's most crowded attractions.