Casa Lleo Morera (Lleo Morera House), Barcelona

Lle贸 Morera House, at Number 35 on Gr脿cia Boulevard, was designed by renowned Catalan Modernist architect Llu铆s Dom猫nech i Montaner. Commissioned in 1902 by Francesca Morera, the building was named after her son, Albert Lle贸 i Morera, following her death two years later.

This property forms part of the so-called "Block of Discord" that features the works of Barcelona's top four Catalan Modernist architects, Llu铆s Dom猫nech i Montaner, Antoni Gaud铆, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and Enric Sagnier. Less extravagant than the other two local landmarks 鈥� Batll贸 and Amatller houses 鈥� but no less opulent when it comes to the richly decorated balconies and facade, Lle贸 Morera House was the only one on the block to win Barcelona鈥檚 Arts Building Annual Award in 1906.

The edifice stands out with its distinctive egg-shaped rooftop and intricately ornamented round-shaped balcony. Dom猫nech i Montaner collaborated with various artists to incorporate natural and organic motifs into the building鈥檚 design. Llu铆s Bru and Mario Maragliano worked on mosaics, Eusebi Arnau on sculptures, Antoni Serra on ceramics, and Gaspar Homar on interior decoration and furniture. Upon closer inspection, one can notice the building's name, "Lle贸 Morera," depicted on the facade, which translates from Catalan to "lion" and "mulberry". The mulberry tree motif, symbolizing the Morera family name, is a recurrent decorative element, seen in door handles, patio designs, and ceramics.

The building鈥檚 fa莽ade and ground floor originally featured modernist sculptures by Arnau, which included feminine figures symbolizing technological advancements of the time like the light bulb, phonograph, and telephone. However, modifications in the 1940s removed some of these elements. Many sculptures were lost, while others were later acquired by Salvador Dal铆.

The dining room showcases stained-glass windows, exquisite woodwork, and marble details, complete with the eight ceramic mosaic wall panels depicting idyllic countryside scenes. The staircase in the house is also notably unique for European buildings of that period.

In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, restoration efforts were made to recover the building鈥檚 damaged elements, including the tempietto, destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. In 2007, Lle贸 Morera House was included in the Art Nouveau European Route. Guided tours of the building are available for a fee, making it an excellent choice for passionate modernist enthusiasts and architecture buffs who won't be disappointed by the experience.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Barcelona. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Casa Lleo Morera (Lleo Morera House)
Sight Location: Barcelona, Spain (See walking tours in Barcelona)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Barcelona Introduction Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.7 Km or 3.5 Miles

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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

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