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SPAIN
Translates to House of Shells. External wall with shell features. It was a medieval retreat for the pilgrims of Compostela from Southern Spain en route.
An outside feature is the impressive piano nobile beneath which is a rusticated grotto and statue of Venus. Nearby is also a partly demolished church with a distinctive carving of St James of Compostela.
A pilgrim statue by Lazarillo de Torres (1974) stands beside the Roman bridge.
Gaudi designed this house in 1904. Its former name, The House of Bones is an indication of the organic nature in its conception. The central part of the facade evokes the sea with nymphs and the various curves and indentations associated with shells - especially the scallop.
Gaudi designed Casa Mila in 1906 – the building resembles a huge wave with organic motifs such as the stylised shell decoration seen on the legendary warrior masks that guard the roof terrace. Inside the Pedrera Apartment, shell plasterwork frames doorways and windows.
