Visit one of Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces, the famous « Pedrera », one of Barcelona’s most visited sites!
Casa Milà is one of Barcelona’s must-see landmarks. Built between 1906 and 1910 on the Passeig de Gràcia – one of the city’s longest boulevards, linking the Plaça de Catalunya to the Gràcia district – it is one of the 1,052 monuments listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open to the public since 1987, Casa Milà welcomes over a million visitors every year.
Here is our guide to visiting Casa Mila in Barcelona:
Spotlight on the history of Casa Milà
Photo credit: Flickr – Ian Gampon
Classified as one of the major works of Catalan modernist art, Casa Milà was originally conceived as a private mansion under the aegis of Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). While Gaudí was working on projects for the Sagrada Familia (since 1884), Bellesguard House (1900-1909), Parc Güell (1900-1914) and Casa Batlló (1904-1906), a wealthy Catalan property developer and politician – Pere Milà i Camps – commissioned him to build this large luxury building. The latter wished to reserve the second floor of the eponymous building for his own residence and dedicate the upper floors to rentals and shops.
Pere Milà met Antoni Gaudí at Casa Batlló, where he knew Josep Batlló personally as a member of his textile company.
Photo credit: Flickr – Ian Gampon
The first plans were drawn up on February 2, 1906, but as soon as planning permission was granted, construction followed a rocky path, meeting with disapproval from the city council and local residents. It has to be said that Gaudí’s style is unique. He undoubtedly imposed on the eyes of his contemporaries a contrast with the habits of the time, a break with the current order.
For the record, the first dispute with the mayor’s office arose in December 1907, when the latter halted construction on the grounds that a pillar was occupying part of the sidewalk without respecting the alignment of the facades. Too high in relation to the original plans, the building’s attic and terrace were threatened with destruction. Gaudí responded ironically to the council’s threats:
« Tell them that if they want, we’ll cut the pillar as if it were a cheese, and on the remaining polished face we’ll carve a legend that reads: cut, by order of the city council and according to an agreement of the plenary session of such and such a date. »
It was the recognition of the artistic character attributed to the building – albeit too high – that convinced the city not to initiate demolition proceedings. Work was completed in 1912, when the building was approved for rental. Sold, then resold to various owners, occupied and requisitioned by the United Socialist Party during the Spanish Civil War, the building passed through the hands of several private owners before being opened to the public.
Despite several phases of renovation, Gaudí’s decoration was lost. In the 1950s-1960s, corporate offices and modernist-style apartments – far removed from Gaudí’s style – were installed, before the Caixa-Catalunya restored the building to its original style in the 1990s.
Photo credit: Flickr – Ian Gampon
Visit Casa Milà, from the first floor to the fireplaces
The Casa Milà is more commonly known as the « Pedrera », which means « stone quarry » in Spanish. At the time, Barcelonans saw the building as nothing more than a jumbled pile of stones, tasteless and uninteresting.
A visit to Casa Milà means discovering a century-old masterpiece of Catalan architecture. The visitor is immediately struck by the undulating forms of the façade, the wrought-iron balcony ornaments and the wrought-iron grilles, which are veritable feats of engineering.
Inside, visitors discover the spiral ramp leading to the basement for the carriages and cars of guests. This visual pilgrimage continues with another special feature: the layout of the apartments, with no load-bearing walls. The entire building is in fact supported by metal structures and columns, making it a building that can evolve and be modulated at will. The visit to Casa Milà ends with the roof: the best for last!
Photo credit: Flickr – John Bugg
In addition to a breathtaking view of Barcelona’s city center, the terrace’s sinuous shapes and numerous typical sculptures, covered in trencadis, are a delight to behold. The building’s chimneys are said to evoke the Corinthian helmets worn by hoplites (infantrymen in Antiquity).
Book a ticket to visit Casa Milà
To visit Casa Milà, we advise you to book your ticket in advance, as queues can be long.
The site is open every day of the week:
January 4 to March 2: 9am to 6:30pm (last admission: 6pm)
March 3 to November 5: 9am to 8:30pm (last admission: 8pm)
November 6 to December 24: 9am to 6:30pm (last admission: 6pm)
December 26 to January 3: 9am to 8:30pm (last admission: 8pm)
Admission fees :
- Adults (over 12): €22
- Children (aged 7 to 12): €11
- Students: €16.50
- Over 65s: €16.50
- Children (under 6): Free.
A ticket to Casa Milà is available at the same price as normal admission, and gives you access to the site as if you were a V.I.P. member.
How do I do it? You enter your contact details, name, postal address and e-mail address when making your payment. Then you receive your ticket by email. And that’s it!
How to get to Casa Milà
Take metro line 3 or line 5, exit Diagonal.
By car: via Avinguda Diagonal, then carrer de Provença.
Casa Milà is located at the crossroads of Carrer de Provença and Passeig de Gracia, so you won’t want to miss it!
Main photo credit: Flickr – Ian Gampon