Casa Botines

Rare Gaudí building outside Catalonia, now a museum

Casa Botines is a Neo-Gothic mansion designed by Antoni Gaudí in 1892, one of only three buildings he completed outside Catalonia. It sits on the Plaza de Santo Domingo, directly opposite a much more conventional building — the contrast makes Gaudí's instincts clear even at a glance.

The building now houses a Gaudí museum on the ground floor, with interactive exhibits on the house's history and Gaudí's methods. The upper floors display changing exhibitions. Worth a visit even if you've seen Gaudí's Barcelona work — this is a different, more restrained register.

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A story
Casa Botines was designed by Antoni Gaudí in 1892, one of only three buildings he built outside Catalonia. The client was a textile merchant who had worked with Gaudí's patron Eusebi Güell. Locals were apparently skeptical of the eccentric Catalan architect, but the finished building convinced them. During restoration work in 1950, a lead tube was found in the roof containing the original plans signed by Gaudí himself.