Barcelona · Spain
Block of Discord (Manzana de la Discordia)
A practical guide to the Block of Discord in Barcelona: how to read the facades of Casa Lleó Morera, Casa Amatller and Casa Batlló, where to stand and how much time to give it.
Worth 15 minutes before or after Casa Batlló: three rival architects on a single block. You enjoy it from the opposite sidewalk, and it's free.
The Block of Discord, the Manzana de la Discordia, is a single block of Passeig de Gràcia, between Consell de Cent and Aragó, where about 80 meters of facade hold three of the most famous Modernista houses in Barcelona. All three were remodeled between 1898 and 1906, each by a different architect in an opposite style: Casa Lleó Morera by Domènech i Montaner, Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch and Casa Batlló by Gaudí.
Our experience
We came by at 2:45 p.m. on our Gaudí day, between lunch at Cervecería Catalana and our 3:00 p.m. entry to Casa Batlló. We put it there on purpose: the block is on the way, and fifteen minutes looking at the facades from across the street helps you understand what Gaudí did differently before you go into his house. That morning we had already seen La Pedrera, 550 meters up the same boulevard.
A bit of history
Passeig de Gràcia was a country road to the town of Gràcia. With the 1860 Eixample plan it became the boulevard of the new bourgeoisie, and in the 1870s and 1880s wealthy industrialists bought lots for their homes. By the end of the century fashion had shifted to Modernisme, and many remodeled what they had.
On this block, three families did it with three architects. Antoni Amatller, of the chocolate fortune, hired Puig i Cadafalch for number 41. Francesca Morera, from a sugar fortune, commissioned number 35 from Domènech i Montaner; she died in 1904, mid-construction, and the house took her son’s name. Josep Batlló, a textile man, gave number 43 to Gaudí between 1904 and 1906.
The three were rivals. Domènech was the eldest and had run the school of architecture where the other two studied. Puig i Cadafalch was from the younger generation and later presided over the Mancomunitat de Catalunya. Gaudí was the radical. The press of the day mocked how badly the houses matched, and that’s where the name came from. The city’s 1906 prize for artistic buildings went to Casa Lleó Morera, the only house on the block that ever won it.
How it fits into your day
Pair it with Casa Batlló and La Pedrera in the same morning or afternoon. Everything is walkable along Passeig de Gràcia, and the metro is on the corner.
What to see, in order
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The view from the opposite sidewalk
Stand on the east side of Passeig de Gràcia, between Aragó and Consell de Cent, and read the facades from left to right.
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Casa Lleó Morera
On the corner of Consell de Cent, by Domènech i Montaner (1902–1906). Look for the lions and mulberry leaves: they're puns on the family names Lleó (lion) and Morera (mulberry).
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Casa Mulleras and Casa Bonet
The two lesser neighbors in the middle. They give you a pause to compare the three big names.
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Casa Amatller
By Puig i Cadafalch, finished around 1900. The stepped gable copies the houses of Flanders, and Eusebi Arnau's sculptures tell the legend of Saint George.
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The Amatller chocolate shop
On the ground floor of number 41, the Amatller family chocolate shop is still there. Going in is free, and the entrance hall keeps original ceramics.
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Casa Batlló
On the corner of Aragó. The roof is the dragon's back, the balconies are skulls and the cross is Saint George's lance.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- The photo of all three facades is taken from the opposite sidewalk. Between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. groups take turns at that spot; wait a minute and you'll get it.
- Look at the pavement on the Passeig: the hexagonal tiles with sea motifs and the lampposts are part of the boulevard's Modernisme too.
- There are no public restrooms on the Passeig. Use the ones at Casa Batlló during your visit or at a café.
- To eat, walk one block off the boulevard, to Mallorca, Aragó or Diputació.
Do
- Give it 15 minutes before going into Casa Batlló: the facade makes more sense afterward.
- If you have time, buy an Amatller chocolate bar for the trip home.
- Wear your backpack on your front: the sidewalk in front of Casa Batlló is one of the most worked by pickpockets in Barcelona.
Don’t
- Don't stop for people with charity petitions, and don't let a stranger wipe off a supposed stain: they're distractions for theft.
- Don't pay for the photo with the person dressed as Gaudí in front of Casa Batlló.
- Don't eat at the Passeig de Gràcia terraces with photos of paella in the window.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Block of Discord?
A block on Passeig de Gràcia with three Modernista houses by three rival architects: Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch and Gaudí.
Why is it called that?
It's a Spanish pun: manzana means both city block and apple, like the apple of discord in the Greek myth. In Catalan it's Illa de la Discòrdia, and the pun is lost.
How much time do I need?
About 15 or 20 minutes to look at the facades from across the street and stop by the chocolate shop.
Can you go inside the houses?
Casa Batlló and Casa Amatller can be visited with a ticket. Casa Lleó Morera has very limited access.