Stay at Barcelona Century Hotel and discover what Barcelona's apple of discord is all about.
Barcelona has a thousand places to visit, photograph… Stay at the centrally located Barcelona Century Hotel and you'll be very, very close to, for example, Barcelona's Manzana de la Discordia (Block of Discord).
Don't know what it is? Well, it's one of the most special axes of Modernist Barcelona. Keep reading and find out more.
Barcelona's Apple of Discord
It is the group of modernist buildings located on Passeig de Gràcia, between Aragó and Consell de Cent streets.
It is in this block of buildings in the Eixample district where we find the three most important architects of Modernism represented in their buildings: Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch and Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
The 3 key buildings of the Block of Discord
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was a glorious time for the city, and this led some of Barcelona's richest and most powerful families to commission magnificent and ostentatious houses designed, built and decorated by the greatest architects of the time.
The rivalry between families to build the most impressive house was joined by that of the architects, who did everything possible to surpass the work of their colleagues.
Although some versions mention a group of 5 buildings, the truth is that Barcelona's Manzana de la Discordia (Block of Discord) has 3 key buildings that give life and name to this Modernist axis, and they are the following:
Casa Batlló (no. 43), by Gaudí
The star symbol of modernist Barcelona is Casa Batlló. Its construction dates from between 1904 and 1906. Josep Batlló, a wealthy Barcelona businessman, bought the building, which he initially considered demolishing, but in the end, he settled for its renovation and commissioned one of the most renowned architects of the time, Antoni Gaudí.
Casa Batlló is Gaudí's masterpiece , a key piece of Barcelona's Modernism. It can be said that, more than just a building, it has become a myth of art, architecture, and universal design.
The Amatller House (no. 41), work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch
The renovation of the building that houses Casa Amatller was commissioned by the chocolate industrialist Antoni Amatller to the architect Puig i Cadafalch. He designed it in the style of an urban Gothic palace. Its construction dates from between 1898 and 1900.
The rich ornamentation of the new facade and the height reached by its stepped top broke for the first time the rigid regulations of the Cerdà Plan, which specified that the houses had a height limit and had to show a sober facade.
The Lleó Morera House (no. 35), by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Perhaps it is the least famous of the 3, but La Casa Lleó Morera was the one that won the prize of the annual competition for artistic buildings awarded by the Barcelona City Council, in 1906.
The project was commissioned to Lluís Domènech i Montaner by Francesca Morera. She wanted to renovate the old Casa Rocamora, which dated back to 1864. After her death, her son Albert Lleó i Morera continued the work and gave the building its name.
The other two buildings that many also include in La Manzana de la Discordia are the Casa Mulleras (no. 37) by Enric Sagnier and the Casa Bonet (no. 39) by Marcel·lià Coquillat.
How to get there from Barcelona Century Hotel?
Our hotel is right in the city center, which means it's very easy to get to this wonderful collection of modernist buildings. We offer three options for getting there.
On foot: the journey will be a leisurely 16-minute stroll. Simply follow Calle Valencia for seven blocks.
By bike: it will take you less than 4 minutes. Plus, our street has a bike lane, so the journey will be safe and quick.
By Bus: The H10 bus stop is just steps from our hotel entrance. The journey takes less than 10 minutes and is only 3 stops.
As you can see, we're very close. We hope you enjoyed the tour of Barcelona's Manzana de la Discordia enough to want to visit it in person.
If you come to our city, stay at the Barcelona Century, at the best price
We are a family-run and welcoming hotel. Don't hesitate to ask us for any information you need about Barcelona, what to do, where to go, and how to get there. We'll be happy to help.
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