Mila’s House is one of the most popular Catalan attractions, famous for its facade and unusual architectural solutions. Its creator is Antonio Gaudi – the world famous architect, thanks to which Barcelona has become one of the most visited cities in the world.
General information
Casa Mila is a residential building at the intersection of Paseo de Gracia Boulevard and Carre de Provence in Barcelona. One of the most visited architectural attractions of the Catalan capital.
The building gained worldwide fame thanks to its unusual facade, as well as bizarre figures on the roof of the building. Interestingly, at the very beginning, the locals did not like the house at all, and they called it “Pedrera”, which means “quarry” in Catalan.
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More than 1 million travelers visit Mila’s house annually, but it is used not only as a tourist attraction – people who are not enthusiastic about such popularity of the house still live in a small part of the building.
Construction history
Mila’s house, built for the Mila family, appeared on a map of Barcelona in 1910. The project was developed personally by Antonio Gaudi.
Already at the construction stage, the house became a real sensation, because the architect used innovative techniques. Firstly, he created a well-designed ventilation system, and the rooms were never hot. Secondly, he used mobile interior partitions, thanks to which the room could radically change. Thirdly, an underground garage was built under the house, which previously seemed simply impossible.
The innovation of Antoni Gaudi lies in the fact that in almost every room he made a window (this was not practiced before), and, therefore, a lot of sunlight began to penetrate into the rooms.
It is interesting that elevators were originally planned to be installed in the house, but for some reason they did not do this, and they appeared in the building much later.
In 1984, Casa Mila was listed by UNESCO. Interestingly, this is the first building awarded such attention, which was built in the 20th century.
Building architecture
Casa Mila’s Barcelona home is a great example of how fragility can be combined with bulkiness. Contemporaries Antonio Gaudi say that the master drew inspiration from nature. Cliffs and mountains washed by the sea became a kind of prototype of Casa Mila’s house. If you look closely, the attraction really resembles a large hewn rock that grew in the middle of the Catalan capital.
The forged fences on the balconies deserve special attention – they are made with no less skill than the rest of the building. Their manufacture was made by Jusepa-Maria Jujolza, whose work can be seen in other houses designed by Antonio Gaudi.
As in most of his projects, Antonio Gaudi created three courtyards in the house of Mila, as well as incredibly interesting “plastic” figures on the roof.
The main difference between Casa Mila and other works of Antonio is that here the architect worked not only on the building, but also on the interior. He personally developed the design of windows in apartments, door handles and furniture.
What’s inside
The house consists of 6 main parts, as well as many small (for example, a servant’s room or laundry room):
- Courtyard patio. From a technical point of view, this is the most important part of the house, because it is responsible for the ventilation of the premises and the access of daylight to the rooms. In this part, the facade of the building is decorated with polychrome painting, and on the floor you can see frescoes with mythological subjects. Many flowers are planted in the courtyard and there are two benches.
- The terrace is one of the most interesting places in Casa Mila. Here you can walk for hours, looking at the bizarre figures laid out by mosaic trenkadis (pieces of glass and tiles). Each such sculpture performs its function – something is a pipe, and something is ventilation.
- Attic is one of the most interesting rooms in Casa Mila, which was previously used as a laundry. The ceiling is supported by 270 brick arches, and in the niches there are stands dedicated to the life and work of Antonio Gaudi. Here you can find his drawings, notes, photos and documentaries dedicated to the famous architect. Here you can see the models of the most famous buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi.
- The apartment-museum is one of the real apartments of the Casa Mila house in which people once lived. Here you can see not only original furniture, but also other details (for example, door handles or window frames), created according to the sketches of Antonio Gaudi. Pay attention to the incredible beauty of the ornaments.
- The exhibition hall is in the mezzanine. Once upon a time, the owners themselves lived here – Mila, and now there is the main exhibition hall. It hosts temporary exhibitions and periodic master classes. If we talk about the interior, then pay attention to the columns – many symbolic inscriptions are carved on them and an interesting floral ornament is fashioned.
- The cafe is located on the ground floor of Casa Mila. You don’t have to buy a ticket to get here – there is a separate entrance. This room resembles one of the old taverns where travelers can enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of good Spanish wine.
1-2 hours should be allowed to visit the sights. Inside, Mila’s house is not as big as it seems, but there is something to see.
Practical information
- Address: Passeig de Gracia, 92, 08008 Barcelona, Spain.
- Opening hours: 9.00 – 20.30.
The cost of tickets. Museum employees have developed several programs:
- General ticket. The cost for adults is 22 euros, for children and senior citizens – 11.
- Premium – ticket with an open date. The cost is 29 euros.
- Night show. An interesting evening tour of Casa Mila’s house, a small concert on the terrace and dinner at the Cafè La Pedrera restaurant await you. The cost is 59 euros.
- Night trip. A ticket for a night trip includes a late evening tour of the museum with flashlights that create an indescribable atmosphere of mystery. After that, you will go up to the terrace to admire Barcelona at night. The cost is 44 euros.
- Individual visit. The main advantage of this program is that a tourist can visit the museum without a crowd of travelers, and alone it is better to consider the interiors. After exploring the exposition, you will have breakfast in the cafe on the ground floor. Cost is calculated individually.
All visitors enjoy free audio guide, museum map and Wi-Fi.
Official website: https://www.lapedrera.com/en
Prices in the article are for November 2019.
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Interesting Facts
- Mila’s House in Barcelona is Antonio Gaudi’s latest work (not counting, of course, the Sagrada Familia, whose construction continues today).
- After the construction of the house was completed, the owners had to pay a large fine, because the new building occupied too much territory, and completely changed the traditional look of Barcelona.
- Casa Mila is used not only as a tourist attraction. In the southern part of the building are offices and residential apartments.
- There are no load-bearing walls in Casa Mila, making it easy to change the layout of apartments.
Useful Tips
- It is better to purchase tickets to the museum in advance on the official website. It is not only more convenient, but also cheaper (22 euros instead of 25).
- Tourists note that the audio guide in the museum is very interesting and understandable even for a person who does not understand history. Interestingly, there is even a separate one for children.
- The most beautiful photos of Mila’s house in Barcelona can be taken in the evening, when the lights turn on throughout the city.
- Be sure to visit the observation deck, which is located on the terrace – it offers a beautiful view of the city.
- The house of Gaudi Casa Mila works seven days a week, but it is better to come here during the day on weekdays – it is hot at this time, and there are very few tourists.
- If you want to save money, get a Barcelona City Pass card, which guarantees a 20% discount on visiting this museum.
- When visiting Mila’s house, pay attention to the “menagerie” – an architectural composition on the terrace.
The legend of the creation of the House of Mila:
