Dalí's home: Girona and Pubol's Castle

Girona

Although Catalonia is widely known for its exquisite Mediterranean coastline, there is no doubt that it also has mountain gems that have nothing to envy of the sun and the beach. Girona is clearly the best example of a beautiful mountain city, with a wonderful architectural heritage and an unparalleled landscape.

Girona, like other Catalan capitals, was a city of some relevance during the Roman era. Although Gerunda, the Roman Girona, was only a modest provincial city, it had a walled enclosure with a temple, a forum, some baths and a juridical basilica.

After the fall of the Empire, the city passed briefly into the hands of the Muslim armies. But, as in the case of its Roman era, there are almost no architectural elements that testify it. The so-called "Arab" baths of Girona are actually a medieval reconstruction of the Roman baths, imitating the Muslim style. A Jewish community and quartier also flourished during those years.

The area of Girona, which had been protected by Charlemagne, thrived from the 12th century onwards and reached its maximum prosperity during the 14th and 15th centuries. The largest works in the Cathedral of Girona date from that very period, though formally the church would not be finished until four centuries later.

Púbol Castle: from the Gothic to Salvador Dalí

The period of Girona's splendor coincides with a patrimonial upswing of the Barons of Púbol, responsible for building the architectural complex of Púbol Castle. They built a palace and a Gothic church that, after several lords and centuries, ended up being bought by Salvador Dalí.

Dalí restored the Palace and turned it into a masterpiece expressly designed for his wife, Gala Éluard Dalí. Not only did he decorate the rooms with precious objects but he was also in charge of sculpting and architecturally modifying some of the parts of the castle.

Gala could only enjoy the Púbol Castle for two years because, in 1972, she passed away. Dalí, very affected by the death of his beloved, moved in the castle, turning it into his personal residence.

Dalí Theater-Museum

Unlike the Púbol Castle, which is a rather unknown architectural jewel, the Dalí Theater-Museum is a demonstration of the exuberance and renown of the artist. It contains the artist's largest collection in his native town, Figueras (Girona). The Dalí Theater-Museum receives that name, apart from artistic reasons, because its location is in the old Municipal Theater of Figueras.

The scale of the project and the extravagance of its creator complicated the completion of the works, which would last a decade.

The Museum concentrates some of the painter's recurring motifs such as bread, golden human figures and giant eggs. Dalí conceived the Theater-Museum as another surrealist object, as his largest work. For that reason the Museum is not only full of sculptures and famous paintings but its combination and arrangement was curated to the last detail to produce a global artistic experience.

It is currently one of the most visited museums in Spain, with more than one million annual visitors.