Did You Know? The Wrought Iron at Bellesguard

By Ferran Garcés 

On December 1, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of Saint Eligius (or Eloy), the patron saint of various metalworking trades: blacksmiths, silversmiths, jewelers… We’ve chosen this day to remember that Antoni Gaudí, in addition to being a great architect, was an extraordinary craftsman who mastered various construction trades, especially those related to metalwork. This skill was part of his heritage. 

On both his father’s and mother’s side, Gaudí came from a family that, for over five generations, had worked with copper and occasionally with iron. (1) To add to this, during his youth, Gaudí refined the craft of forging at the workshop of Antoni Sardà Bernis, located on Sant Jaume Street in Reus, his hometown. This passion persisted even after moving to Barcelona. From 1869, at just 17 years old, Gaudí regularly visited the workshop of Eudald Puntí, a master blacksmith, carpenter, and glazier. José Gaudí Pomerol, owner of another metallurgical workshop, collaborated with the architect on various projects alongside his sons. (2) 

And the list doesn’t stop there. Gaudí’s main collaborators included Joan Oñós Serinanell and his apprentices, the brothers Lluís and José Badia Miarnau, probably the best blacksmiths of their time. Gaudí spent countless hours in their workshops, personally overseeing the forging process. It’s said that whenever Gaudí approached, Oñós would flee, intimidated by the complexity of the master’s projects, leaving the brothers to assist him. After Oñós’ death, Gaudí built a new workshop for his family, which no longer exists. Instead of charging them for the construction, he preferred to deduct the cost from future commissions he gave them. (3) 

Gaudí’s connection to metal was both familial and personal, as many of his acquaintances and friends were involved in the trade blessed by Saint Eligius. Moreover, Gaudí’s expertise in metalwork extended to intricate iron sculptures, as well as locks and smaller pieces of ironmongery, such as door handles and knockers. He also used iron to create the skeletons of different models in the form of wire mesh, like the famous dragon in Park Güell, the angels in Palma Cathedral, and the columns of the Sagrada Familia. (4) Even more significant, Gaudí’s architectural method, as he himself admitted, was influenced by being “the son, grandson, and great-grandson of coppersmiths,” a legacy that taught him to envision any project not on a flat plane but in three dimensions. (1) 

The Wrought Iron of Bellesguard 

In conclusion, it’s no surprise that, as is common in Gaudí’s work, during visits to Torre Bellesguard, the wrought iron finishes inspire such admiration. Joan Bassegoda, one of the foremost Gaudí experts, remarked that in this building, “there is a beautiful collection of iron grilles made with large, rounded bars that intertwine like sailor’s knots. 

All of Gaudí’s ironwork has this poetic quality, where the usual, highly elegant forms of knots, weaves, and braids are interwoven with the creativity of an artist seeking to break free from the chains of the second dimension, exploring, with fertile imagination, the vast field of space.” (5) 

What are you waiting for? Come and experience it for yourself! 

Notes 

(1) Bassegoda i Nonell, Joan (1992), Aproximación a Gaudí, Doce Calles/Cátedra Gaudí, Barcelona, p. 193. 

Gaudí’s full quote: “I have this ability to see space because I am the son, grandson, and great-grandson of coppersmiths. My father was a coppersmith; my grandfather too; my great-grandfather as well. On my mother’s side, they were also coppersmiths; her grandfather was a cooper (which is the same as a coppersmith). A maternal grandfather was a sailor, and sailors are also people of space and orientation. All these generations of people familiar with space provide a preparation.” 

For more on this reference to Gaudí’s maternal grandfather as a sailor, see: The Sea from Bellesguard. 

For more on Gaudí’s ancestral home and workshop: Casa Pairal, Riudoms. 

(2) Op. cit., p. 191. 

(3) Ibid., pp. 161 and 194. 

Oñós’ workshop was on Aragó Street in Barcelona, between Passeig de Sant Joan and Roger de Flor Street. The Badia brothers’ workshop was near the Sagrada Familia, at Nàpols