Rory had a rest day today (yay!) and planned a really lovely morning for me.
We dropped Eston at school, picked up the rental car, stopped to pick up lunch, and then made our way out to the small village of Pubol to see the Gala Dali castle.
Blurb from website (don't sue me, people):
The Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, open to the public since 1996, allows visitors to discover a medieval building in which Salvador Dalí lent material form to an exuberant creative effort with his mind set on one person, Gala, and on one function, to make a place suitable for his wife’s rest and refuge. The passage of time led to this place being turned between 1982 and 1984 into Salvador Dalí’s last workshop and the mausoleum for his muse.
Figuring in documents since the 11th century, the basic structure of the present building, on three floors and arranged around a narrow inner courtyard, dates from the time of utmost splendour of the barony of Púbol: the second half of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th century.
When Dalí bought the castle in 1969 it was in a very poor condition, with ceilings collapsed, large cracks and the garden in semi-wild state. But all that lent the whole a romantic feel which is what the couple rated most and tried to retain in the restoration work they set under way. The ruinous appearance from the outside was consolidated, without hiding the scars left by the passage of time. The semi-ruined walls and ceilings were used in a highly intelligent way to create unsuspected areas and dimensions forming stark contrasts. The underlying conception of the interior decor was based on pictorial scenes on the walls, false architectural features, baroque-style use of fabrics, antiques, romantic symbols, and so forth. The result is an enclosed, mysterious, private, austere and sober place, with zones of considerable beauty such as the former kitchen converted into a bathroom or the Piano Room.
The Missus had excellent taste...
This was Dali's last known studio area...
Ok, so I think we are all familiar with Dali and his art.
He obviously had a lot going on in that mind of his.
The house/art/furniture was all interesting to see, but something gave me chills when we walked into their garage and saw this old Caddy.
Something about it was just morbid?
I don't know...
Note the license plate from Monaco...
The gardens were gorgeous and so peaceful...
So the castle was Dali's last workshop from 1982-1984.
A fire broke out in Dali's bedroom in the castle in 1984.
Odd circumstances and I guess his friends were worried that it was really a suicide attempt and they moved him back to Figueres, which is about 30 minutes away (where the big Dali museum is located).
The entire house is built around this inner courtyard...
Saw this on a gate and thought it was fun...
We enjoyed a nice little picnic in the countryside with Aurelia after visiting the castle and even found a good parking spot upon return to Girona.
Now it is time to pick Eston up from school and our beautiful day has disappeared and it is pouring rain...just in time for the 1km walk to school.
No comments:
Post a Comment