By: Ferran Garcés

Gaudí was born on Friday, June 25, 1852, and was baptized the following day, with little time in between. Gijs van Hensbergen, a popular biographer of the architect, explains the reason for this unusual haste: “Although he was the fifth child, Antonia had previously lost María, aged five, and Francisco, aged two, within three months. The pregnancy had been difficult. The birth was traumatic, and to save the soul of the child, he was rushed, just a few hours old, to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle (a church in Reus)” (1). It is clear, then, where Gaudí was baptized. The controversy lies in knowing from where his parents rushed him… 

The family normally lived in Reus, where Gaudí went to school, but they also had an estate in Riudoms called “Mas de la Calderera.” The name refers to the father’s profession, boiler maker, as well as that of other ancestors on both his mother’s and father’s sides (see: Wrought Iron at Bellesguard). The estate, in addition to a workshop, housed animals and crops, so the Gaudí family had to be there often, especially during spring and summer. The distance between the two towns is very short. A Catalan saying goes: “From Reus to Riudoms, it’s an hour,” or “from Riudoms to Reus, it’s the same.” (2) 

Reus or Riudoms? There are arguments for and against each town. The debate is far from settled, although most sources lean toward Reus (3). In any case, when speaking of Gaudí’s origins, we must also consider broader geographical areas. Josep Maria Tarragona, another well-known biographer of Gaudí, said: “Gaudí was born in the Baix Camp” (4), the region of Tarragona where these towns are located. And similarly, as Serrat would later say, Gaudí considered himself a child of the Mediterranean (see: The Light, the Light of the Mediterranean). Ultimately, Gaudí felt Catalan, as evidenced by the many testimonies he left of his connection to Catalonia. 

Faithful to His Roots 

Reus or Riudoms? The Mediterranean or Catalonia? Wherever it was, what matters is that Gaudí always maintained a close relationship with these cradles. Almost all of his future collaborators and friends came from the same physical and symbolic space. Three of them are even connected to Torre Bellesguard: Joan Grau, the estate’s first owner, and Joan Rubió and Domènech Sugrañes, the two architects who worked on the final project (see: The Bellesguard–Reus Connection). Moreover, ten years after the architect’s death, a third element of Bellesguard was added to his origins… 

A Tree with a Pinnacle 

In its June 31, 1936 edition, the Barcelona newspaper El Matí published an article to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Photographer and painter Josep Maria Armengol i Bas created an illustration for the occasion that, for the first time, depicted the architect’s family tree (5). The image has since been reproduced countless times. However, since Torre Bellesguard is one of Gaudí’s lesser-known works, few people have likely noticed that the architectural element shown in the illustration is the pinnacle of that tower. Why? What could be the connection between Gaudí’s origins and Bellesguard? 

J.M. Armengol, Gaudí’s family tree, published by the Barcelona newspaperEl Matí, in its June 31, 1936 edition. Source: Càtedra Gaudí.

Let’s begin with a superficial analysis of the illustration. At first glance, the tree shows how Gaudí’s family roots trace back to the French region of Auvergne, from where, in the 17th century, they moved into the Baix Camp. Now let’s dig deeper with a question that few have asked: Who was the author of this illustration? 

Like Gaudí, Josep Maria Armengol i Bas was a worthy son of the Renaixença, a cultural movement characterized by its desire to study and recover Catalonia’s past. This goal was made possible thanks to institutions like the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. Both Gaudí and Armengol were members. 

From the beginning of the organization, in the late 19th century, photography was one of the main tools for preserving and disseminating heritage. Today, its archive is one of the most important photographic collections in the country, with nearly 750,000 images (see: CEC). Among the earliest photos are those by Josep Maria Armengol i Bas, especially two taken during the construction of Torre Bellesguard, between 1900 and 1909. In them, we can see both the house and the ruins of the castle of Martí I the Humane, still unrestored. 

Josep Maria Armengol i Bas. Source: Centre Excursionista de Catalunya, 1903–1909 

Unfortunately, no information has been preserved about the exact day these photos were taken. Was Gaudí present at the time? Did the photographer speak with the architect elsewhere? What did they say? What does seem certain is that the memories of that experience lasted three decades, because when creating the aforementioned family tree, Josep Maria Armengol i Bas included the pinnacle of that house, then newly built. 

Why did Armengol choose that pinnacle? Gaudí created many similar elements, with his famous four-armed cross symbolizing reincarnation (see: The Cypress Cross). It’s a recurring feature of his style. What makes the one at Bellesguard different? 

Due to a lack of documentation, we cannot resolve the question. However, we do know that the Bellesguard pinnacle, in addition to a cross, includes a historical allegory through the use of a senyera (Catalan flag) and a crown—symbols of the birth of Catalonia during the era of the House of Barcelona, the dynasty of Martí I the Humane. We also know that Gaudí, with this neo-Gothic work, intended to pay tribute to Catalonia. So, did Armengol want to recall this symbolic connection in the architect’s origins? 

Perhaps we will never know for sure. But what we can say is that, both in his work and in his life, Gaudí remained deeply faithful to his roots. Reus or Riudoms, the Baix Camp, Catalonia or the Mediterranean: all these places form part of the same vital and spiritual landscape that nourished his creativity. And perhaps, like the pinnacle that crowns Bellesguard, his roots point toward the sky—yet always firmly anchored in the land that saw him born. 

Notes 

(1) Van Hensbergen, Gijs (2002), Antoni Gaudí, Plaza & Janés, Barcelona, p. 33. 

(2) Anonymous (first citation: 1901), “From Reus to Riudoms, it’s an hour; from Riudoms to Reus, it’s the same.” Website of the PCCD, Digital Comparative Catalan Paremiology.

(3) In favor of Reus: Buqueras Bach, Josep M. (19/09/2023), “In Defense of Gaudí. Reus versus Riudoms,” Diari Més.

In favor of Riudoms: Torres, J., Corts, J.R., and Toda, J.M. (2002), Riudoms, Tribute to Gaudí, L’Om, Revista de Riudoms. 

(4) Tarragona i Clarasó, J.M. (2016), Gaudí, the Architect of the Sagrada Família. A Brief Biography, Torsimany Books, Reus, p. 13 (foreword). 

(5) For a more detailed analysis of the tree: Tarragona i Clarasó, Op. cit., pp. 17–19 and 25–27. 

For a digital version of the tree: “Genealogy of Antoni Gaudí,” website es.genestart.org