Casa Botines is a stunning little architectural gem in the city of León that might surprise visitors to the city: it is one of only a few buildings by Gaudí located outside the region of Catalonia and a rare treat to stumble upon. Just find a vacation rental in Castille and Leónand make a point to visit when you're in the city.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Gaudí, who had never left Barcelona before, headed to León to design a tissue store, Casa Botines. Commissioned by Simón Fernández and Mariano Andrés, the owners of a company that bought fabrics from Güell, to build a residential building and warehouse, it was built between 1891 and 1892. The name by which it known today comes from the last name of the company's former owner, Joan Homs i Botinàs.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Gaudí, who had never left Barcelona before, headed to León to design a tissue store, Casa Botines. Commissioned by Simón Fernández and Mariano Andrés, the owners of a company that bought fabrics from Güell, to build a residential building and warehouse, it was built between 1891 and 1892. The name by which it known today comes from the last name of the company's former owner, Joan Homs i Botinàs.
In 1929, the bank of León, Caja España, bought the building and it was adapted without altering Gaudí's original design. Today it is a museum, dedicated to the history of the building, its famous architect and art and painting of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It exhibits the Collection of the España-Duero Foundation with works, among others, by Ramón Casas i Carbó, Raimundo de Madrazo, Joaquín Sorolla, José Navarro Llorens, Ignacio Pinazo, Nicanor Piñole and Joaquin Mir Trixet.
Iconic and very important in the history of architecture, this Modernist beauty was declared a National Historic Monument in 1969 and it is one of the most interesting pieces of nineteenth-century architecture in Spain. With its stunning catalan vaults, columns of cast iron, stained glass and angular towers and the legacy of the city's medieval and Gothic heritage kept in mind, Casa Botines is an impeccably made beauty with the appearance of a fairytale castle.
Casa Botines
Plaza San Marcelo, 5, 24002 León
Opening hours:
Monday 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 5pm to 8pm
Thursday and Friday 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm
Saturday 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
Tickets:
Normal €5
Reduced €3
Free entry for kids under 7, those accompanying the blind, teachers accompanying a group and those guiding tour groups
Reduced entry for kids under 12, those over 65, students with ID, unemployed people.
Iconic and very important in the history of architecture, this Modernist beauty was declared a National Historic Monument in 1969 and it is one of the most interesting pieces of nineteenth-century architecture in Spain. With its stunning catalan vaults, columns of cast iron, stained glass and angular towers and the legacy of the city's medieval and Gothic heritage kept in mind, Casa Botines is an impeccably made beauty with the appearance of a fairytale castle.
Casa Botines
Plaza San Marcelo, 5, 24002 León
Opening hours:
Monday 10am to 2pm
Wednesday 5pm to 8pm
Thursday and Friday 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm
Saturday 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
Tickets:
Normal €5
Reduced €3
Free entry for kids under 7, those accompanying the blind, teachers accompanying a group and those guiding tour groups
Reduced entry for kids under 12, those over 65, students with ID, unemployed people.
Photo credit: xavi lópez / CC BY-SA 3.0 ES
