|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Grating of the park of the Citadel (1876) | One of the results of the victory of the Glorious Revolution (in 1868, leaded by general Prim) was the demolition of the Citadel, which there had constructed the engineer Philip Prosperous of Werboom in 1715 to dominate militarily the Catalonia's capital, once conquered the country for the king Philip V. The people breathed satisfied with the demolition of the ominous "Bastille" of Barcelona, where the Spanish Bourbons were imprisoning and eliminating their enemies. The vast lot of little more than thirty hectares was yielded to the city and destined to public gardens, symbolizing the liberation of the subjects, turned now into citizens. The Town hall entrusted the project to the master builder Joseph Fontserè i Mestres, originally from Riudoms and protector of the young man Gaudí, who was helping him as draughtsman in his office.
Gaudí was going to expire twenty-four years when he presented the project of the fence, May 30, 1876, which Fontserè would sign. That year his mother and his brother died, and there ended the Third Carlist War (1872-1876), in which Gaudí, still student of architecture, did his military service. The fence has a kilometre of length, hundred thirty two columns of link and seven doors: one to the street of the Princesa, three to Pujades's walk and three to Picasso's walk. Every column of the doors measures nine meters of height, with three, auxiliaries, of four meters.
Three principal doors are illuminated by chandeliers with groups of six gas flames by spherical globes of white crystal (today electrified). They take the shield of Barcelona, crowned by the helmet of war of James I the Conqueror, with its characteristic winged dragoon, a symbol that Gaudí will use often. Every big column weighs 80 Quintals, 25 the small ones, and 6 those of link. The smelting did to itself in the «Nueva Vulcano» and the construction in Marià Rifà i Rumeu's workshops. The total cost of the railing and the doors it was 250.000 pesetas.
Eduard Támaro, associate of Gaudí in «the Catalanist» and editor of "La Ilustració Catalana", published on September 20, 1880 an engraving of the door of the Park and an eulogistic commentary, where he highlightsGaudí's paternity: «La gran reixa que dona volta al Parque fou ideada pel conegut arquitecte Antoni Gaudí, imprimint especialmente á les portas un sello marcat de singularitat i elegancia.»
Also it refers to the fence "La Ilustration" of December 26, 1880, edited by Luis Tasso y Serra, though for a different motive: «No creáis que el amor haya desaparecido por completo de aquel sitio. Recorred el exterior del Parque á aquellas horas y veréis junto a la verja varias enamoradas parejas. Ellas, puestas en jarras, echan al ingrato galán sus indifelidades. Ellos, luciendo el honroso uniforme del cuerpo de artillería, hacen tiernas protestas y juramentos capaces de derretir los hierros del enverjado.»
At the beginning of 1885, the doors were completed by the statues of the Industry and the Trade (of Venanci Vallmitjana) and of the Agriculture and the Merchant marine (of Agapit Vallmitjana). The doors of the park of the Citadel were during the Ninetieth century a motive of tourist attraction. The collections of photography and the guides of Barcelona in diverse languages were reproducing and recommended to visit it. | Josep Maria Tarragona, March 10, 2006
|
|
|
|
HOME
Principal works
Grating of the Ciutadella
El Capricho
Català