Trivial Biographies: Antoni Gaudí

NAME Antoni Gaudí i Cornet

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect best known for his visionary, organic architecture and for designing the Sagrada Família, the monumental basilica in Barcelona. His distinctive style blends Gothic, Art Nouveau, and surreal natural forms.

BIRTH He was born on June 25, 1852, in Reus (or possibly nearby Riudoms), in Catalonia, Spain.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Gaudí was the youngest of five children born to Francesc Gaudí i Serra, a coppersmith//boilermaker, and Antònia Cornet i Bertran, from another coppersmith family.

His family had a long tradition of artisans working with metals, an influence that likely contributed to his strong spatial awareness and understanding of materials from a young age. His family was devoutly Catholic.

Of his four siblings, only sister Rosa and brother Francesc reached adulthood

CHILDHOOD Gaudí's childhood was marked by periods of poor health, including rheumatism, which limited his ability to play with other children and led him to spend more time observing plants, animals and geological forms. This early exposure to nature, particularly the landscapes around Reus and the nearby town of Riudoms where his family also had a country house, profoundly influenced his architectural philosophy. He showed an early aptitude for drawing and an keen eye for detail.

EDUCATION Gaudí began his education at the Escuelas Pías de Reus (Pious Schools), a local primary institution. In 1868, he moved to Barcelona to continue his baccalaureate studies.

From 1873 to 1878, he studied at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura (Higher Technical School of Architecture) in Barcelona. Alongside his core architectural training, he attended courses in history, philosophy, economics, and aesthetics. His studies were occasionally interrupted by military obligations, but he graduated in 1878.

During this time, Gaudí worked under several architects, including Joan Martorell, a key figure of the Gothic Revival who became an important mentor. Though his academic work was often seen as eccentric, his professors acknowledged his remarkable talent. Upon awarding Gaudí his degree, school director Elies Rogent is said to have remarked, “We have given a diploma to a madman or a genius; only time will tell.”

CAREER RECORD

1878: first public commission – iron streetlamps for Barcelona’s Plaça Reial

1883-1914: explosive output including Casa Vicens, Palau Güell, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Colònia Güell crypt

1883-1926: chief architect of the Sagrada Família, to which he devoted his final 12 years exclusively

APPEARANCE Gaudí was of medium height, with a strong, athletic build in his youth. As he aged, his posture became more stooped, and his appearance more ascetic. He had light hair and blue eyes, which, combined with his sometimes intense gaze, gave him a striking presence. In his later years, particularly during his dedication to the Sagrada Família, he grew a full beard with wild hair and often appeared disheveled and unkempt, sometimes mistaken for a beggar.

Gaudí in 1878, by Pau Audouard

FASHION In his youth, Antoni Gaudí was every bit the elegant gentleman—sky-blue eyes, fine tailored suits, silk top hats, and a fondness for opera and the theater. He used his first scholarship funds not on books, but on a gold watch, which he passed off as a family heirloom to blend into Barcelona’s upper class. Yet despite his refined tastes, he had an oddly practical struggle: he couldn’t bear stiff new boots. After his brother’s death, he had his students soften his shoes with hammers to make them wearable. (1)

However, as he grew older and became increasingly immersed in his work, particularly the Sagrada Família, his interest in personal grooming diminished significantly. He adopted a much more humble and practical mode of dress, often wearing old, simple clothes, almost to the point of neglecting his appearance.

CHARACTER Gaudí was a man of striking contrasts—intensely devout, fiercely proud of his Catalan heritage, and utterly devoted to his craft. A perfectionist by nature, he demanded precision not only from himself but also from those who worked with him. He was intuitive and driven, often working long hours in pursuit of architectural perfection. Though he could be quick-tempered and exacting, he was also known for his compassion—generous to the poor and deeply protective of the laborers on his building sites. In his later years, he grew increasingly reclusive, embracing a life of prayer, solitude, and near-monastic discipline.

SPEAKING VOICE Gaudi spoke in a resonant Catalan baritone. He was fluent in Catalan and proud of using it, even when it led to political friction. He famously refused Castilian Spanish when arrested during a 1924 demonstration for the Catalan language, forcing police to use an interpreter

SENSE OF HUMOUR Gaudi's humor was dry and understated. When asked about the slow pace of the Sagrada Família, he replied, “My client is not in a hurry.”

He was fond of playful architectural jokes such as seating workmen on wet cement at Park Güell to mould ergonomic benches. (1)

RELATIONSHIPS Gaudi never married - he had youthful platonic infatuations (notably Pepeta Moreu), which ended without success, after which he focused on work and faith .

His closest relationships were often with his collaborators, patrons (most notably Eusebi Güell), and the religious community. He was devoted to his niece, Rosa Egea Gaudí, who kept house for him for a time.

His dedication to his work often overshadowed personal relationships, and he lived a largely solitary life, particularly after the deaths of his immediate family members.

MONEY AND FAME In his early career, Gaudí enjoyed a comfortable income from his architectural commissions, allowing him to live a relatively comfortable life. He achieved significant fame within architectural circles during his lifetime, particularly in Catalonia. However, as he became increasingly dedicated to the Sagrada Família, he funneled much of his personal wealth and time into the project, often working without a fixed salary and relying on donations. He was not motivated by personal wealth or fame; his primary drive was the creation of beauty and the glorification of God through his art.

FOOD AND DRINK Gaudí followed an increasingly ascetic lifestyle and was a strict vegetarian. His meals became so sparse—sometimes just lettuce soaked in milk—that he nearly starved. A priest had to remind him that staying healthy was part of his divine mission to finish the Sagrada Família.

Gaudí believed water was the perfect nourishment and abstained from alcohol.

He also had quirky habits—he often carried a raw egg in his pocket, fascinated by its shape and convinced of the strength of its shell. (1)

MUSIC AND ARTS Gaugin admired Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony and collaborated with choirmaster Lluís Millet. (2)

Gaudí was deeply immersed in the arts, not only as an architect but also as someone who appreciated and integrated various art forms into his work. He incorporated elements of traditional Catalan folk art and religious iconography into his designs, demonstrating a deep appreciation for his cultural heritage and spiritual expression through art

LITERATURE Gaudi read medieval Catalan texts, Ruskin, Viollet-le-Duc and Ernst Haeckel. He contributed articles to the Catalanist press in youth.

Gaudí was deeply influenced by religious texts, particularly the Bible, which provided much of the symbolism for his work, especially the Sagrada Família.

NATURE Nature was perhaps the single most profound influence on Gaudí's work. He famously said, "Originality consists of returning to the origin." For him, the "origin" was nature, which he considered the ultimate teacher and the direct work of God. He meticulously studied natural forms – trees, bones, shells, mountains, plants, animals – and translated their structures, curves, and systems into his architectural designs. He believed that nature offered the most perfect and efficient engineering solutions. Below is the nave in the Sagrada Familia with a hyperboloid vault. Inspiration from nature is taken from a tree, as the pillar and branches symbolise trees rising up to the roof

By SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya

PETS Gaudi filled his buildings with sculpted fauna—lizards, snails, pelicans, dragons—earning the park mascot nickname “Gaudí’s menagerie”

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Gaudí's primary "hobby" was his work. His dedication to architecture consumed almost all of his time and energy. In his youth, he enjoyed walking (up to 10 km daily) and observing nature, which later became integral to his professional inspiration.

Gaudi was an enthusiastic sketcher and experimental model-builder.

He was not known for participating in formal sports. His physical activities were more related to his work, such as walking extensively around construction sites.

SCIENCE AND MATHS While Gaudí was an artist, he was also a masterful engineer and structural innovator. He deeply understood principles of physics and mathematics, particularly geometry, which he applied to his designs. He experimented with innovative structural solutions, such as hyperboloids, paraboloids, and catenary arches, to achieve strength, stability, and unique aesthetics without relying on traditional buttressing. His "funicular model" for the Colònia Güell chapel, an inverted model of strings and weights, demonstrates his scientific approach to structural analysis.

ARCHITECTURE Fresh out of architecture school in 1878—with, one suspects, more confidence than clients—Gaudí’s first real job was designing lampposts for Barcelona’s Plaça Reial. These were not your average lampposts. They looked like the sort of thing Poseidon might install outside his villa—wrought iron twisted into flourishes and crests, wildly ornamental for their function. But they did the trick: Barcelona noticed.

Farola de la Plaza Real lampost by Canaan

Then came Casa Vicens (1883–85), a residential explosion of ceramic tiles, oriental flourishes, and structural whimsy. It was as if Gaudí had been told he could use every pattern in the swatch book—and did.

Gaudí’s fortunes changed dramatically when he caught the attention of industrialist and professional patron-of-dreamers, Eusebi Güell. Their first major project together, Palau Güell (1886–90), was an urban mansion that made other mansions feel underdressed. Gaudí tucked horse stables under parabolic arches and tossed ironwork about like confetti.

Their most ambitious folly was Park Güell (1900–14), a garden-city-meets-sculpture-park that failed commercially but triumphed artistically. Gaudí turned nature into playground and playground into shrine, laying mosaic lizards and undulating benches like a man possessed by both art and entropy.

Casa Batlló (1904–06) was a renovation in the same way that painting the Mona Lisa’s smile brighter would be “touching up.” Inspired by marine life and myth, its balconies resemble carnival masks or bones, depending on your mood. Inside, there’s not a straight line in sight.

Next came Casa Milà (1906–12), also known as La Pedrera, or “The Stone Quarry,” a name perhaps offered by baffled neighbors. Its undulating limestone façade and wrought-iron balconies made it look like a rock formation that had taken up residence in the city and started collecting rent.

In 1883, Gaudí inherited a humble Gothic revival church project. He then spent the next 43 years turning it into something resembling the inside of God’s imagination. By the last 12 years of his life, he was entirely consumed by the Sagrada Família, living on-site like a medieval stonemason-monk.

He pioneered hyperboloid vaults, twisted towers, and stone structures that mimic trees, bones, and beehives. When asked about the glacial pace of construction, he famously replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” Indeed, it still isn’t finished, and likely won’t be until well after 2026, pandemic permitting.

View of Sagrada Familia from Placa de Gaudi by C messier

Gaudí didn’t just think outside the box—he ignored the box entirely. He used funicular chain models to design arches (a technique that involved dangling strings with weights and flipping the results upside-down) and hyperbolic paraboloids that he could explain in fluent geometry, even if few others could follow.

He despised working on paper and preferred to sculpt models—sometimes entire sections of buildings—by hand, often with fruit, cork, and thread.

To Gaudí, nature was God’s blueprint, and architecture merely an act of divine translation. Trees became columns, shells became staircases, and sunlight was not something to block, but to orchestrate.

He collaborated with artisans across every discipline—ceramics, ironwork, glass, wood—often obsessively overseeing the smallest detail. Each building became a cathedral of collaboration, where no element stood alone.

Though underappreciated in his final years, Gaudí now boasts seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites to his name. His blend of engineering, ornamentation, and faith continues to inspire biomimetic and organic architecture globally.

And the Sagrada Família? Still rising. Still magnificent. Still, in the words of its creator, very much on God’s timetable.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Gaudí's philosophy was inextricably linked to his deep Catholic faith. He saw architecture as a means of expressing his devotion to God and glorifying creation.

His theological understanding infused every aspect of his designs, from the overall symbolism of the Sagrada Família (representing the life of Christ and the Church) to the smallest decorative details. He believed in God as the ultimate architect and sought to emulate divine creation through his own work.

Gaudi was a proponent of the Catalan Renaixença, a cultural and political movement emphasizing Catalan identity and language, often with religious undertones.

Gaudi's life was marked by daily Mass, rosary, almsgiving and eventual recognition as Venerable by the Vatican in 2025.

POLITICS Gaudí was a staunch Catalan nationalist and a fervent supporter of the Catalan Renaixença movement, which sought to revive Catalan language, culture, and institutions. His architectural work often incorporated elements of Catalan identity and history.

He was not overtly involved in party politics, but his cultural and nationalistic convictions were strong and evident in his life and work.

SCANDAL Gaudí's life was largely free of personal scandal. His intense devotion to his work and increasingly ascetic lifestyle meant he avoided the typical pitfalls associated with public figures. The closest to "scandal" might be the strong reactions his unconventional designs sometimes evoked from critics and the public (contemporary critics mocked his “monstrosities”) or the financial challenges and delays associated with the Sagrada Família, which occasionally drew criticism. However, these were professional rather than personal controversies.

MILITARY RECORD Gaudi was conscripted 1874-78 as a Military Administrator in Barcelona infantry; ill-health excused him from active combat in the Third Carlist War

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Gaudí quite literally saw the world differently—he had one far-sighted eye and one near-sighted eye. Refusing to wear glasses, he insisted that the ancient Greeks were brilliant builders and didn’t need spectacles either. This unusual visual condition may have shaped his distinctive perception of form and depth. (1)

Gaudí suffered from rheumatism from a young age, which caused him pain and limited his mobility throughout his life. Despite this, he maintained an active professional life, overseeing multiple construction sites. In his later years, his health declined further, exacerbated by his rigorous work schedule and ascetic diet. He became frailer, contributing to his accidental death.

HOMES Gaudí lived in various residences throughout his life in Barcelona. For a significant period, he lived in a house within Park Güell, which is now the Gaudí House Museum.

In his later years, he essentially lived on the construction site of the Sagrada Família, sleeping in a small workshop or an improvised room, fully dedicating himself to the basilica.

El Mas de la Calderera, home of the Gaudí family in Riudoms by Montserrat Gili

TRAVEL Apart from local study excursions, Gaudi travelled little. He made brief trips to France (1878) and Majorca (for Palma Cathedral work, 1904-14).

DEATH Antoni Gaudí died on June 10, 1926, at the age of 73. On June 7, 1926, while walking to the Sant Felip Neri church for his daily confession, he was struck by a tram. Because of his disheveled appearance, he was not immediately recognized and was initially taken to a public hospital for the poor. He was eventually identified by the chaplain of the Sagrada Família. Despite efforts, he succumbed to his injuries three days later.

His funeral was a massive event in Barcelona, attended by thousands, demonstrating the high esteem in which he was held. He is buried in the crypt of the Sagrada Família.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Gaudí has inspired countless documentaries, films—such as Antonio Gaudí, una visión inacabada (1973)—novels like The Gaudí Key, songs including Alan Parsons Project’s “La Sagrada Familia,” and immersive exhibitions around the world.