Spain confirms another Gaudí masterpiece

The three-story chalet, located about 125 kilometers north of Barcelona in La Pobla de Lillet, was built between 1901 and 1908 to house engineers working at nearby coal mines linked to a cement factory owned by industrialist Eusebi Güell, Gaudí’s longtime patron. Although historians had long associated the structure with Gaudí, no comprehensive technical or historical study had previously confirmed his role.

In 2023, Catalan authorities commissioned an expert analysis led by Gaudí scholar Galdric Santana Roma. After examining floor plans, archival documents and photographs, and applying 3D modelling techniques, Santana identified geometric and structural features characteristic of Gaudí’s work at the midpoint of his career. These include distinctive arches and vaults, as well as rooms separated by walls positioned at 45-degree angles: elements that were not adopted by his followers until a decade or later.

Santana noted that the attribution applies to the initial design phase, as Gaudí did not supervise construction and the final structure does not fully reflect his original plans.

Catalan Culture Minister Sònia Hernández described the findings as the result of rigorous research that enriches Gaudí’s legacy ahead of the centenary of his death in 2026. The architect died in Barcelona in 1926 at the age of 73, and commemorative events are planned throughout the anniversary year.

As reported earlier, a previously unknown work by Michelangelo has been sold at auction in New York.