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The nickname
Citizens nicknamed it La Pedrera, the stone quarry
Casa Milà was the last private residence designed by Gaudí and was built between 1906 and 1912. The name La Pedrera, the stone quarry, was a nickname given by citizens who disapproved of its unusual look. The people of Barcelona also ridiculed it in humorous publications.
The owners
A widow with Guatemala coffee money and a flamboyant developer paid for it
It was built for Roser Segimón and her husband Pere Milà. She was the wealthy widow of Josep Guardiola, who had made his fortune with a coffee plantation in Guatemala. Her second husband was a developer known for his flamboyant lifestyle.
Innovations
The stone facade holds itself up, and the garage is underground
Its structural innovations include a self-supporting stone facade, a free-plan floor, an underground garage and a terrace on the roof. The local government ordered the demolition of elements that exceeded the height standard and fined the Milàs for many infractions of building codes.
No statues
After the Semana Trágica the owner dropped the religious statues
Gaudí planned the building as a spiritual symbol, with statues of Mary and two archangels. After the Semana Trágica, an outbreak of anticlericalism in the city, Milà decided to forgo the statues. Gaudí contemplated abandoning the project, but a priest persuaded him to continue.
Day 2, evening
It comes after Casa Batlló.
More stories from this trip idea
The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article La Pedrera, Barcelona, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.