The Colonia Güell, just a few minutes from Barcelona, is one of the must-visit places to better understand our recent past. This modernist industrial colony combines art with cultural and historical heritage and allows for reflection on social structures of the time.
Located in the municipality of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, it is one of the best examples of the industrial colonies that were built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries to accommodate the factories of the entrepreneurs and to place the workers' homes nearby. Quality housing was offered to the people working in the factory, grouped in the comfort of a neighborhood, and all the necessary amenities for daily life were provided: schools, nurseries, healthcare, church, theater, cooperative store...
One of the streets that make up the Colonia Güell. The workers of the factory lived in these houses
The businessman ensured the continuity and loyalty of the workers in a time when there were no labor unions or labor protection. The protection in this case came from the good intentions of the businessman, in a social structure close to paternalism, but at the same time allowing for the good personal and social development of entire families.
There are many industrial colonies throughout Spain, in different states of conservation. However, Colonia Güell stands out for several reasons. Firstly, for the crypt designed by Antoni Gaudí, a true architectural gem. Additionally, because its buildings have remained standing, in use, and occupied by homes and social and cultural facilities.
The crypt includes, for the first time in a unified way, almost all of Gaudí's architectural innovations
This has allowed it to preserve its cultural and historical heritage intact, as can be appreciated in guided tours or when strolling freely, while also maintaining its status as a vibrant place where its inhabitants enjoy the comforts of the 21st century in buildings from the 19th century.
Velvet and corduroy
The businessman Eusebi Güell, an industrialist and patron of Catalan arts and letters, founded the colony in 1890 on his estate Can Soler de la Torre, in Santa Coloma de Cervelló. He decided to move his factory there from Barcelona, to distance himself from the social conflicts present in the city.
Eusebi Güell's factory where velvet and corduroy were manufactured
The textile industry was equipped with the most modern technology of the time, and it was dedicated to manufacturing velvet and corduroy. Two fabrics designed for the upper classes and for the working class. The workers' houses, integrated on the same property as the factory, formed an urban nucleus with its own identity, and with social and economic life overseen by the company. Each element of the colony had its function, and, although the ultimate purpose was economic, it embraced a model of society inspired by the social Catholicism of the time.
Everyday life
The workers of the colony did not need to go far to meet their daily needs and to enjoy their scarce free time. At the top of the hill stood the large building that housed the school and the teacher's house, a true institution in those times. On the main street, the medical office was located at the bottom of the splendid house of the secretary, the delegate of the employer, who oversaw that everything worked well and who was visited by Mr. Güell from Barcelona a couple of times a year. The doctor, another social institution, lived in a large house near the school and other monumental houses.
The professor's residence, where the teacher lived
The daycare center that stood next to the convent of nuns allowed young children to be cared for while their mothers went to work at the factory. The little ones started working as soon as they had basic schooling notions, as it was necessary to make the most of their small hands for the most delicate tasks on the looms. As in all colonies, the entire structure was designed for the economic interest of the entrepreneur.
In Colonia Güell, there was also a communal winery, and a cooperative store opened every day where families could buy the products they needed. Currently, it houses the information and interpretation center for visitors. Leisure time was dedicated to rest and recreation: the Centre Sant Lluís was built as a cultural center, the Ateneu Unió served as a theater, and there was an amateur orchestra...
In the Colonia Güell square, you can admire a statue in honor of Eusebi Güell
It is important not to forget that Eusebi Güell was an important patron of culture at the time, and that is why he wanted to provide the colony with cultural and religious facilities, incorporating the modernist movement into the new constructions, commissioned to prominent architects of the time, such as Francesc Berenguer and Joan Rubió.
Gaudí's Crypt
The church remained the epicenter of society. Eusebi Güell commissioned Antoni Gaudí, one of his favorite architects, to build the church of the colony. After various preliminary studies, construction of the temple began in 1908. It was an ambitious project with two aisles, one upper and one lower, topped by different towers. The building was left unfinished, and Gaudí only managed to construct the lower aisle, popularly known as the crypt.
Exterior view of the crypt
This building includes, for the first time in a unified way, almost all of Gaudí's architectural innovations. It is considered his laboratory, where he experimented with new techniques that he would later apply to the Sagrada Família. In fact, in the exhibition at the interpretation center of the colony, there is a reproduction of the stereostatic model designed by Gaudí to visualize the church's structure in three dimensions. This technique was invented by the architect to build the crypt, and the knowledge derived from it was later applied to the Sagrada Familia.
The entire crypt is built with materials of colors and textures similar to the earth and vegetation. In fact, it blends perfectly into the small forest that surrounds it. Stained glass windows, columns that imitate tree trunks, benches with rounded and ergonomic shapes, all contribute to an intimate and welcoming atmosphere. Architecture and applied arts come together to create a sense of solemnity, as would later be brought to fruition in the Sagrada Familia. The crypt was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
The interior of the crypt with its stained glass windows and colored crystals
Recovered Splendor
At the start of the Civil War in 1936, the factory was collectivized. Years later, the Güell family regained ownership, and in 1945 they sold it to another family of industrialists. The textile industry was closed in 1973 due to the sector's crisis.
In recent years, the colony as a whole has undergone an intense restoration process that has returned it to the splendor of its origins. Cultural activities, modernist events, concerts, guided tours, and themed visits are regularly held throughout the colony.