Do you know what? The Latin numbers of Bellesguard

By: Ferran Garcés

Bellesguard is much more than a Gaudí building. Before him, there are centuries of history. The current work, in fact, pays tribute to this legacy, both for the neo-Gothic style of the tower and for the symbols that adorn it. For this reason, at the two entrances of the property, the garden and the house, we can see a series of numbers that connect the past with the present, in Gaudí’s time.

MCCCIX – MCMIX

The first point of the visit focuses on a shield, located above the door of the ruins of the ancient palace of Martí I the Humane (in reality, what we see is a personal restoration done by Gaudí). The first date, MCCCIX (1409), corresponds to the year the king moved to this palace. The second, MCMIX (1909), indicates the year Gaudí abandoned the construction of the current Tower.

From this shield, there is an interesting image, where we can see it in a corner of the Sagrada Familia workshop, before occupying its current location in Torre Bellesguard (A photo with surprise).

MCCCCX – MCMXVI

On the main facade of the tower, we can see a ceramic bench with three motifs made in mosaic. In the central part, there is no number, but at the ends, two dates appear. In the corner where the sun rises, the date is MCMXVI (1916), which recalls the year in which a collaborator of Gaudí finished Torre Bellesguard. We refer to Domènec Sugrañes, responsible for the iron door of the entrance, the ceramic benches of the garden, and the interior decorations of the lobby, including its impressive lamp.

On the other corner of the bench, the one to the west, the date is MCCCX (1410), the year Martí I the Humane died, a tragedy that marks the beginning of the gradual abandonment of the palace, until only a few ruins remain. Thanks to them, Gaudí will find the inspiration to build the current Torre Bellesguard, in collaboration, as we have already said, with his friend and collaborator Domènec Sugrañes.