You know what? The light, the light of the Mediterranean 

By Ferran Garcés 

In two days, autumn will begin. It is the time of year when the hours of day and night are roughly equal. However, gradually, the nights will grow longer, and the days shorter. It is a season that poets worldwide have used to reflect on light. So, this week, let’s remember what light meant to Gaudí, using his own words. 

The arrangement of light 

First of all, it’s worth mentioning that, according to Gaudí, “Architecture is the first plastic art; sculpture and painting need it first. All its excellence comes from light. Architecture is the arrangement of light” (1). 

Secondly, it should be noted that the light “arranged” by Gaudí is not just any light. The architect himself took care to specify what kind. According to him, “Virtue is in the middle ground; Mediterranean means in the middle of the earth. On its shores, with medium light at 45 degrees, which is the best to define bodies and show their form, is the place where great artistic cultures have flourished, due to this balance of light: neither too much nor too little” (2). 

This light is so deeply rooted in the Mediterranean that Gaudí once confessed: “I need to see the sea often, and many Sundays I go to the breakwater (in Barcelona). The sea is the only thing that synthesizes the three dimensions – space. On the surface, the sky is reflected, and through it, I see the depth and movement. My ideal would be to see all this at the Miracle Beach in Tarragona, where the light and colors have different nuances, but I must settle for seeing it from the breakwater” (3). 

This conception of light is not only aesthetic. Gaudí also applied it to talk about his political ideas. On August 1, 1917, Prat de la Riba, a lawyer, journalist, and the first president of the Mancomunitat de Catalunya, passed away. In an interview on August 9 of that year, the architect gave his opinion on the situation in Catalonia during a tribute to the deceased politician. Midway through the interview, he said: “Catalans have a sense of plasticity, which gives an idea of the totality of objects and their relative position. The sea, the Mediterranean light, give this admirable quality of perception. That’s why reality never deceives Catalans; it instructs them” (4). 

As we can see, the list of quotes is long. Here, we only wanted to compile a few to emphasize their importance for Gaudí (5). Torre Bellesguard is the ideal place to experience this firsthand, thanks to the interplay of light inside the house and the view of the Mediterranean from the rooftop. On the other hand, Bellesguard hides an arrangement of light that transcends what the eye can capture in just one day… 

New studies, new discoveries 

Gnomonics, from the Greek gnòmon “to know, to learn,” is the science that studies the trajectory of the Sun and its use in creating specific projections on surfaces. The Bellesguard Research Group has found evidence of the use of gnomonics in the construction of Bellesguard, in its practical and functional, artistic and ornamental dimensions, but most notably in its symbolic dimension, with multiple meanings and interpretations. 

The discovery was made thanks to Carles Salillas, the manager of Bellesguard, who for a year observed that the star of the stained-glass window on the main façade projected a play of lights, colors, and shadows that, depending on the season and time of day, aligned with the oculus on one of the columns. 

Last year, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Torre Bellesguard’s opening to the public, Galdric Santana, director of the Bellesguard Research Group, revealed his study of this surprising projection. His research confirms that Gaudí was well aware of the principles of gnomonics, knowledge that he applied at Torre Bellesguard with great effectiveness. The peak moment of the star’s projection, with the greatest clarity, occurs on Christmas Day, between four and five in the afternoon. A star that, if that weren’t enough, is symbolically related to the Immaculate Conception and the Three Wise Men. 

Additionally, a second effect has been discovered, where the star’s projection aligns with the oculus, casting a perfect circle on the back wall. This effect occurs at two times of the year, at the end of October and in mid-February. Its meaning has not yet been deciphered. The research is still ongoing. “The arrangement of light” at Torre Bellesguard promises even more surprises… 

References 

(1) Puig-Boada, Isidre (1980) El pensament de Gaudí. Compilació de textos i comentaris, Barcelona, Publicacions del Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, p. 98 (quote 30. The arts). 

(2) Op. Cit., p. 91 (quote 4. Mediterranean I). 

(3) Ibid., p. 91 (quote 5. Mediterranean II). Refers to the breakwater in Barcelona. 

(4) Ràfols, Josep Maria (13/08/2023), “The only statements Gaudí made were published exclusively by a magazine in Vilanova”, Eix Diari. 

(5) In the mentioned work by Puig-Boada (1980), see p. 91-100; p. 107 (“Art, then, is not of the North, theirs is science; architecture is Mediterranean”); p. 118-120, where he discusses the illumination of temples, criticizing the overuse of electric light for running the risk of being pretentious; p. 210 (“light is harmony, it gives relief, it decorates”), p. 226 (“Glory is light, light gives joy, and joy is the happiness of the spirit”), etc.