A couple of weeks ago we went to explore a spot that not even local people know. Does the picture above ring a bell? We are talking about these colorful houses in Barcelona, which are located in Font de la Guatlla. Have you ever walked that street? It feels like exploring another city, but it is actually Barcelona. And these Barcelonian painted ladies also hide a story (it couldn’t be any other way in this city!).
Where are these houses located?
You will find them in Font de la Guatlla, in the Sants-Montjuïc district. Specifically you will find them at Font Florida street. And why is the location of these houses relevant? Because it is directly linked to the purpose of their construction…
The story of these colorful houses in Barcelona
When were they built?
These houses were built between 1930 and 1940, and their construction style was inspired by the British model (the colorful Victorian houses). Did you know that in Great Britain and former British colonies, a “Victorian house” generally refers to any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria?
Who built them? And who lived there?
The land where these houses were built was property of Esponellà baron. And it was acquired by the Cooperativa d’Obrers i Empleats Municipals, workers from the diverse factories that were located also there. Actually, before the houses were built, the land was basically ground that welcomed the first factories. For instance: Lámparas Zeta (Philip’s subsidiary) or Casimir Casaramona (a textile factory where today you can find the CaixaForum).
So we could state that workers from the diverse factories located there drove the initiative of building these particular constructions. And they also ended up building what we call today the Font de la Guatlla neighborhood.
And on the way up to these houses in the Font de la Guatlla neighborhood, you probably will find another iconic building with such an interesting story, Cal Drapaire: one of the biggest apartment buildings in Barcelona. You can’t miss it either!
