The Block of Discord, Barcelona

It is really hard to decide which one to like the most: Casa Lleó i Morera (built between 1902 and 1905) and designed by Lluis Domènech i Montaner, Casa Amatller (finished in 1900) designed for Amatller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch or the famous Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló (finished in 1906). These three buildings are on the same block of the avenue Passeig de Gràcia, at no 35, no 41 and no 43.

The Castilian Spanish name "Manzana de la discordia" - the block of discord - is a name given to the section of the avenue where these buildings are. It's not hard to understand that the expression is just a play on words. Manzana can be translated as an "apple" or a "block of buildings" so the meaning of the block of discord refers to the rivalry between the three modernist architects, but taking in consideration that the architects were friends we could say that the real rivalry was more between the owners of the buildings.

Casa Lleó i Morera was owned by Francesca Morera i Ortiz and was considered, rightly, a work of an outstanding artistry and won the Barcelona artistic building prize in 1906. "Morera" in Catalan translates to mulberry and you can notice throughout the house a lot of representation of mulberry tree sculpted in wood, painted on glass and tiles. The last renovation of the house was in 1940.

Casa Amatller is the only house of these three houses that still has inside the original pieces of furniture. It was built in 1875, purchased by Amatller family in 1898 and remodeled by Josep Puig i Cadafalch in a neo-gothic style with a touch of influence of the Flemish palaces. Josep Puig i Cadafalch, architect, politician and art historian was a master with a vision that perfectly combined the architecture of the house with the interior design, decoration and furniture. 

In the photo below you can see Antoni Amatller's perfect handwriting from an original accounting book. Antoni Amatller lived together with his daughter, Teresa, in the house. His wife fell in love and runaway with a famous Italian tenor. The guide, showing us the accounting book, told us that there is a rumor that the wife left his husband because he was too nit-picking, giving too much attention to his books and his notes instead of her.  

The owner of the house (the son and the grandson of chocolate makers), the chocolatier Antoni Amatller made of his chocolate brand the biggest brand in Spain. At the end of the tour you can taste Amatller chocolate and you can rest with a cup of traditional chocolate or a glass of 100% natural fresh juice in Faborit Caffee, in the former kitchen of the house and the space that used to be the garage. In the first picture below you can notice a circle on the pavement. That was the garage where the owner of the house turned around his car automatically. 

Casa Batlló

Although for me, the "contest" between these three houses was won by Casa Amatller judging by the interior, the story changes and at the exterior the winner is Casa Batlló followed by Casa Morera.

In my opinion, Gaudí remains the artist who made Barcelona a city of dreams. Admiring his creations, I saw Barcelona as a playground of imagination where houses have bones and smile at you from the deepest blue of the sea. Casa Battló seems to be out of a dream and the perfect play of the lights and shadows, shapes, sounds and colors show the infinite genius of Antoni Gaudí. Looking at the green and the blue on the facade made me think of the beauty of Monet's paintings and inside the house, for several times, I had the feeling that I dived in a blue sea looking at the surface of the water and enjoying the ray of lights.