Modernisme Architecture in Barcelona

This podcast takes you on a walk around some of Barcelona’s larger architectural monuments. Arranged in separate bites of architectural delights, which should take you around half a day of walking. It will leave you admiring and learning more in-depth information about modernist Barcelona and the wealth of incredible sights on offer.

Modernisme as a form of architecture is usually described as a variation or extension of Art Nouveau, though the Modernistas used an amazing mix of other styles as well in their designs including Gothic, Islamic, Renaissance and Romanesque.

Buildings by the famous Antoni Gaudi, Lluis Domenech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch - the "Modernistas" – vie with other on a trail of fairy-tale castles and outrageously awesome designs that need not only to be seen, but some history and detail to bring them, if it were possible, even more alive.

Not all of Barcelona’s famous sites have been included in the tour guide, the monuments that have been chosen were done so to provide a reasonable length tour that is able to be covered within a reasonable proximity and walking time.

Each podcast is divided into one bite-sized recording per building, which makes it easy to find each guide and replay, or move on at will or take your own tour as and when you will.

The podcast is fun and easy -listening, which although obviously would be best used on the tour itself, with the building in front of you, it can also could also be used for a bit of research or amusement to get the imagination going or relive a previous trip.

The modernist monuments included in the podcast were all built within twenty years of each other, yet as with all modernist architecture each brings its own beauty and style.

The building styles of the middle-ages combined with modern technologies such as lifts and under-ground car parks all unfold as your personal guide relates the highlights and joys of each individual monument.

On this particular podcast the buildings that on the tour are

Quatre Gats - Four Cats

Caixa de Pensiones – Pension Bank

Palau de La Musica – Palace of Music

Casa Calvert – The house, office and showroom of Gaudi which won a building award in 1900

Casas Rocamora

Mansana de la Discordia – Block of discord

Casa Thomas

Casa Mila – also called La Pedrera – The Quarry

Casa Fuster

Casa De Les Punxes – House of spikes

Sagrada Familia – Holy Family

Hospital Sant Pau

The trip, the buildings and the podcast – as the narrator says – Wow.

Podtours are available online, where you can pay and download them onto your computer and then transfer to your mp3 or ipod.