Antoni Gaudí
Summary: Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) was Catalan Modernisme’s defining architect. His Barcelona works — Sagrada Família, La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, Palau Güell — are the city’s biggest non-museum draw. 2026 marks the centenary of his death, which the Sagrada Família is commemorating with a major event on June 10, 2026.
Sources: Barcelona.md, Barcelona Itinerary Planning Your Time.md, La Pedrera - Gaudí's Casa Milà in Barcelona.md, Sagrada Família - Official ticket vendors.md
Last updated: 2026-05-13
2026 centenary — what to know
Gaudí died on June 10, 1926. The Sagrada Família’s published calendar marks the centenary with three events on June 10, 2026 (source: Sagrada Família - Official ticket vendors.md):
- 10:00 — Floral Offering in Memory of Antoni Gaudí
- 19:30 — Centenary commemoration mass
- 21:30 — Blessing and inauguration of the Tower of Jesus Christ
The Tower of Jesus Christ is the basilica’s tallest planned tower. Its inauguration is a once-only event. If a trip overlaps June 10, expect:
- Crowded basilica precincts and likely restricted general visits that day.
- Heavier-than-normal pressure on hotels and trains in/out of Barcelona around that date.
- Possible city-wide programming tied to the centenary (verify with Barcelona tourism closer to the date — see source-guidebook-updates for the pre-trip checkpoint discipline).
This claim has only been observed in one source so far (the official Sagrada Família calendar). Reconfirm before booking.
Gaudí’s main Barcelona works
- sagrada-familia — his unfinished masterpiece. Begun 1882, still under construction.
- la-pedrera (Casa Milà) — the quintessential Modernista apartment block.
- casa-batllo — the dragon-roofed house on the Block of Discord in the eixample.
- park-guell — colorful hillside park overlooking the city.
- Palau Güell — early Gaudí, curvy interior, fantasy rooftop. Rated ▲ by Rick Steves (source: Barcelona.md).
- Gaudí Exhibition Center — biographical exhibit (source: Barcelona.md).
Several Modernista buildings he did not design (e.g., palace-of-catalan-music) get covered under modernisme.
Tickets, lines, and timing
Both sagrada-familia and la-pedrera need advance tickets and have long lines (source: Barcelona Itinerary Planning Your Time.md). Buy from official sites only — see tickets-and-reservations.