Casa Milà (La Pedrera) | ¿Is it worth it? Barcelona

00:36 - It’s probably on your list of things to do in Barcelona, and today I’m gonna take you inside to help you decide for yourself if it’s worth the visit. Remember there are all different types of visits available, from daily tours to evening shows on the roof. Just make sure you book online, it’s cheaper than buying at the door.

00:56 - The Casa Milà was designed by Antoni Gaudí between 1906 and 1912 and would be the last house he would ever be involved with before turning his attention to the Sagrada Familia. Different from the rest of Gaudi’s houses where you can find nature in the house, the Casa Milà looks like you could find the house in nature. Part of that has to do with its nickname, La Pedrera, which means stone quarry. Take one look and you’ll understand why You can find La Pedrera at the top of the Passeig de Gràcia not far from the Diagonal Metro, and it is within walking distance from other famous Gaudí houses like the Casa Battló or even the Casa Vicens.

01:32 - While we call it a house , it’s really an apartment building that was paid for by Pere Mià and his wife Roser to house various different tenants. I’ve always thought it was Gaudi’s most interesting private property in terms of story lines, with changes and problems from the get go.

01:47 - One of my favorite stories about the house is because the way that it’s constructed and the house does hold actually any of the weight, it’s all done by interior columns, one of the columns on the façade sticks out a little bit further than the rest of the building. And the government didn’t want this to happen, they didn’t want the building sticking out further into the sidewalk. So, Gaudí says basically he’s gonna shave off the column, and where they destroy it, he’s gonna put a big plaque that says destroyed by the city of Barcelona.

And as you can see, there’s no plaque here! The rest of the façade is covered in different types of stone and the lack of straight lines, something common in Gaudí’s work, runs throughout the building; something you’ll later on the inside Like any visit to a Gaudí built house, you have to see the rooftop. Gaudí’s capacity to turn ordinary chimneys into works of art is always fascinating. At the Casa Milà you’ll not only find chimneys, but vents and statues that create a forest of crosses and warrior helmets.

02:56 - You’ll also find great views of the city and realize what a privileged vantage point the Casa Milà offered its inhabitants. It’s an amazing way to start your visit.

03:12 - One of the questions I get a lot is what’s on the inside of these blocks that you’ll see in the Eixample, and up here you can see for yourself.

03:31 - We’re in the attic of the Casa Milà, and I don’t wanna give to much away, but this is one of the places that Dan Brown used in his novel Origin that partly took place in Barcelona The attic was where the laundry was done for the building, today it’s a museum to Gaudi’s genius. One thing you will notice are the catenary arches throughout which is so important in the Sagrada Familia or even the Guell Colony.

03:52 - You can always learn so much in each of Gaudí’s houses, and even here you can see how he figured out how to make the Colonia Guell church that he was working on at the exact same time as he was working on the house here.

04:04 - I have always been in love with the doorknobs that Gaudí created. You’ll find an exhibit explaining the correct hand position for each piece. It’s something that seems so trivial but speaks to Gaudí’s attention to detail.

04:23 - Believe it or not, three apartments are still used today. What you’ll visit is an example of an early 19th century apartment. Make sure you look down to see the tiles when you first enter, you can see they are the same tiles used to decorate the street outside, these are the originals, color and all.

04:48 - Not everyone was a fan of the interior, believe it or not the Milà family apartment was changed shortly after Gaudís death because Roser was never fully convinced about the architect. It’s a free flowing space that lacks straight lines like we saw from the outside. It’s not a common outline and maybe didn’t accommodate everyone’s needs. Story has it that when Gaudí was asked where a piano was supposed to fit he recommended playing the violin! So now that you’ve seen what the house is like on the inside and out, it’s up for you to decide.

Remember this is Gaudí’s last house. The views from the terrace alone are definitely worth it, but just to get an idea for the last thing that he’s going to build before solely dedicating himself to the Sagrada Familia, I think, is always worth your time if you wanna really understand, kinda, what’s going on here in Barcelona.

05:55 - As always, thank you for watching. I hope this video helped you out, helped you answer some of those questions about going into the Casa Milà or not. If it gave you any sort of value, give it that thumbs up, and if you haven’t done so already, subscribe so that you can see other videos about not only Gaudí’s architecture, but other things to do while you’re here in Barcelona!.