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Antoni Gaudí Timeline

(1852 – 1926)

Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) was a Spanish Catalan architect renowned for his distinctive Modernisme style, blending nature-inspired organic forms, vibrant colors, and innovative structural techniques. His masterpieces in Barcelona, including the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà, have made him one of history's most influential architects. Less

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Early Life and Education

Birth of Antoni Gaudí

Jun 25, 1852

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was born in Reus or Riudoms, Catalonia, Spain, to a family of coppersmiths. His father's craftsmanship is often cited as an early influence on Gaudí's appreciation for three-dimensional forms and skilled manual work.

Image source: Antoni Gaudí

Birth of Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí suffers childhood rheumatic illness

1860

As a child, Gaudí suffered from rheumatism, which kept him from playing with other children. He spent much time observing nature, fostering the deep fascination with natural forms that would later define his architecture.

Moves to Barcelona to study architecture

1869

Gaudí moved to Barcelona to prepare for and pursue architectural studies. The vibrant city of Barcelona, undergoing rapid expansion with the Eixample district's construction, would become the canvas for nearly all his work.

Enrolls at the Escola Técnica Superior d'Arquitectura

1873

Gaudí enrolled at the Barcelona School of Architecture, where he studied under professors such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner. He worked as a draftsman to support himself during his studies.

Image source: Polytechnic University of Catalonia

Enrolls at the Escola Técnica Superior d'Arquitectura

Works as draftsman for Joan Martorell

1875

While still a student, Gaudí worked as a draftsman for architect Josep Fontserè on Parc de la Ciutadella and for architect Joan Martorell, whose Gothic Revival style influenced him. Martorell later recommended Gaudí for the Sagrada Família project.

Image source: Joan Martorell

Works as draftsman for Joan Martorell

Graduates from architecture school

1878

Gaudí graduated from the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1878. Elies Rogent, the school director, famously remarked that he had awarded a degree either to a madman or a genius.

Visits France and Italy

1887

In 1887 Gaudí traveled to Paris and visited Italy, seeing Gothic cathedrals and classical architecture firsthand. These travels deepened his understanding of historical styles that he would reinterpret in his own work.

Early Works

Designs display case for Comella glove shop at Paris World's Fair

1878

Shortly after graduating, Gaudí designed an elegant showcase for the Esteban Comella glove shop, exhibited at the Paris World's Fair. It caught the attention of Eusebi Güell, beginning their lifelong patronage relationship.

Image source: Exposition Universelle (1878)

Designs display case for Comella glove shop at Paris World's Fair

Meets patron Eusebi Güell

1878

Industrialist Eusebi Güell saw Gaudí's work at the Paris Exposition in 1878 and became his most important patron. Güell commissioned many of Gaudí's greatest works, including Palau Güell and Park Güell.

Image source: Eusebi Güell

Meets patron Eusebi Güell

Completes El Capricho in Comillas

1883 - 1885

Gaudí designed El Capricho, a villa in Comillas, Cantabria, built between 1883 and 1885. The whimsical building features sunflower-themed tiles and showcases his emerging Orientalist style.

Image source: El Capricho

Completes El Capricho in Comillas

Begins work on Finca Güell pavilions

1884 - 1887

For Eusebi Güell's estate at Pedralbes, Gaudí designed entrance pavilions and stables between 1884 and 1887. The dragon gate, inspired by the mythological Garden of the Hesperides, foreshadowed his mature style.

Completes Teresian College in Barcelona

1888 - 1889

Built between 1888 and 1889, the Colegio de las Teresianas features austere brickwork, slender parabolic arches, and symbolic religious details, demonstrating Gaudí's ability to combine simplicity with expressive structural innovation.

Begins restoration of Poblet monastery

1889 - 1890

Gaudí undertook restoration work at the Cistercian Monastery of Poblet in Tarragona around 1889-1890, reflecting his deep interest in medieval Catalan religious architecture and heritage preservation.

Image source: Poblet Abbey

Begins restoration of Poblet monastery

Completes Casa Botines in León

1891 - 1892

Built between 1891 and 1892 in León, Casa Botines combined commercial space with apartments in a neo-Gothic style. The building features statues of Saint George slaying the dragon and demonstrates Gaudí's growing reputation beyond Catalonia.

Image source: Casa Botines

Completes Casa Botines in León

Begins Bodegas Güell wine cellar

1895 - 1901

Gaudí designed the Bodegas Güell wine cellars at Garraf near Sitges, built between 1895 and 1901. The structure uses local limestone and catenary arches, exemplifying his integration of function, material, and landscape.

Image source: Bodegas Güell

Begins Bodegas Güell wine cellar

Major Masterpieces

Appointed architect of Sagrada Família

1883

Gaudí took over the design of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família after Francisco de Paula del Villar resigned. He devoted over four decades of his life to this project, transforming it into his most iconic masterpiece.

Image source: Sagrada Família

Appointed architect of Sagrada Família

Designs Casa Vicens

1883 - 1885

Casa Vicens, built between 1883 and 1885 for Manuel Vicens i Montaner, was Gaudí's first major commission. Its Moorish-inspired design featuring colorful ceramic tiles marked the beginning of Gaudí's distinctive architectural language.

Image source: Casa Vicens

Designs Casa Vicens

Completes Palau Güell in Barcelona

1886 - 1890

Palau Güell, a townhouse for Eusebi Güell completed in 1890, featured innovative parabolic arches and rooftop chimneys. It was one of Gaudí's first works to gain wide recognition and earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1984.

Image source: Palau Güell

Completes Palau Güell in Barcelona

Completes Episcopal Palace of Astorga

1889 - 1913

Gaudí was commissioned to build the neo-Gothic Episcopal Palace in Astorga, León, after the original architect died. Construction stretched intermittently until 1913, featuring his signature use of stone, ceramics, and organic forms.

Image source: Episcopal Palace, Astorga

Completes Episcopal Palace of Astorga

Publishes plan for Colonia Güell church

1898 - 1917

Gaudí designed the church for the workers' colony of Colonia Güell, building only its crypt between 1908 and 1917. There he perfected the funicular model method using hanging chains to determine optimal structural forms.

Image source: Church of Colònia Güell

Publishes plan for Colonia Güell church

Begins Torre Bellesguard

1900 - 1909

Built between 1900 and 1909, Bellesguard was a manor house on the site of a former castle associated with King Martin I of Aragon. Gaudí blended Gothic revival elements with modernist innovation in this lesser-known work.

Image source: Bellesguard

Begins Torre Bellesguard

Begins Park Güell development

1900 - 1914

Commissioned by Eusebi Güell as a residential garden city, Park Güell became one of Gaudí's most celebrated creations. Its serpentine bench, mosaic salamander, and organic structures showcase his trencadís mosaic technique.

Image source: Park Güell

Begins Park Güell development

Completes restoration of Mallorca Cathedral

1904 - 1915

From around 1904 to 1915, Gaudí carried out restoration work on the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, including redesigning the choir stalls and main altar, experimenting with lighting solutions he would later apply at Sagrada Família.

Image source: Palma Cathedral

Completes restoration of Mallorca Cathedral

Begins Casa Batlló renovation

1904 - 1906

Between 1904 and 1906, Gaudí completely renovated Casa Batlló for textile magnate Josep Batlló. Its skeletal facade, dragon-scale roof, and undulating walls earned it the nickname 'Casa dels Ossos' (House of Bones).

Image source: Casa Batlló

Begins Casa Batlló renovation

Builds La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

1906 - 1912

Casa Milà, known as La Pedrera ('the quarry'), was built between 1906 and 1912. Its self-supporting stone facade, sculptural rooftop chimneys, and innovative apartment layout made it one of the most radical buildings of its era.

Image source: Casa Milà

Builds La Pedrera (Casa Milà)

Creates Sagrada Família Passion Facade models

1910 - 1918

During the 1910s, Gaudí developed plaster models and sketches for the Nativity and Passion facades of the Sagrada Família. Many original drawings were destroyed in 1936, but surviving models guided later construction.

Gaudí devotes himself entirely to Sagrada Família

1915

After 1915, Gaudí abandoned all other commissions and dedicated himself exclusively to the Sagrada Família. He lived frugally on-site in a workshop, personally supervising construction and even begging for donations to fund the project.

Legacy and Death

Gaudí struck by tram and critically injured

Jun 7, 1926

On June 7, 1926, Gaudí was hit by a tram on Gran Via in Barcelona while walking to the Sant Felip Neri church for confession. Due to his shabby appearance, taxi drivers refused to take him, delaying medical care.

Death of Antoni Gaudí

Jun 10, 1926

Gaudí died on June 10, 1926, at the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Barcelona, three days after the accident. He was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Família, and thousands attended his funeral procession through the streets of Barcelona.

Key Facts

  1. Antoni Gaudí was born on June 25, 1852, in Reus or Riudoms, Catalonia, Spain.
  2. He studied at the Barcelona School of Architecture, graduating in 1878.
  3. His most famous unfinished work, the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, began construction in 1882 and remains incomplete today.
  4. Gaudí's style is characterized by organic shapes inspired by nature, mosaic trencadís decoration, and catenary arch structures.
  5. He died on June 10, 1926, after being struck by a tram in Barcelona, and was buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Família.

Source

This Antoni Gaudí timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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