Built in 1906, Casa Batlló is a larger than life representation of the legend of Saint George. And Gaudí may have taken his inspiration one step further, designing the biggest and perhaps most famous ode on this mythical creature. Saint George slays a dragon on the Palau de la Generalitat | photo: ToniFlap / Getty Images
The Casa dels Paraigües is a testament to the shop that occupied the building in the past and must-see for any passers-by.įollow one of the narrow streets further into the Gothic Quarter and you’ll see that even the Palau de la Generalitat – the seat of the government of Catalonia – possesses various representations of Saint George and the dragon. Walking through the heart of the old city along La Rambla, you may have noticed a beautiful building decorated with umbrellas, fans and an iron Chinese dragon. You’ll see all shapes and colours of dragons – climbing buildings, battling with Sant Jordi, or sunning themselves like lizards. The dragon of Park Güell | photo: JordiDelgado / Getty ImagesĬhiselled from stone, forged with metals, blown from glass, or made with broken tile mosaics ( trencadís), there is no lack of dragons in Barcelona. Titled Drakcelona: City of Dragons ( drak is the Catalan word for dragon), the publication even spurred the creation of a mobile application to help find the many dragons hidden within Barcelona’s walls.
Josep Martínez – inspired by the countless dragons in the city – authored a book featuring almost 500 dragons. You can read our post to learn more about Sant Jordi and how it’s celebrated in Barcelona here. Saint George’s popularity after slaying the dragon and saving the princess became so great that he was declared the patron saint of Catalonia in 1456.
Legend has it that the first dragons arrived in Catalonia around the 15th century, along with the legend of Sant Jordi (Saint George). It’s no wonder there is so much enthusiasm around them. In European folklore they symbolize evil and chivalry, while in the East dragons are synonymous with power, wisdom, strength and good fortune. The dragon is one of those fantastical beasts that inspires curiosity, awe and fear in cultures around the world. Casa dels Paraigües on La Rambla | photo: Luba Fayngersh / Getty Images
0 kommentar(er)
