Old Farmhouse (Masia) Door: 1817

The texture of rotten wood, the pass of time reflected on this 1817 door inside the premises of an old farmhouse or masia in Granollers near Barcelona

Rusty Keyhole in Farmhouse Door

Time is an acid that eats up on all things. It does not matter whether it's a stone, a wooden plank or a metal surface, it keeps gnawing on textures until damage is visible and eventually stuff disappears, disintegrates into some other matter. This keyhole on an old masia (Catalan for farmhouse) door was no exception, nor were the boards that painstakingly try to hold the lock.

Ficomic, Carrer Palau 4, Barcelona: Street Art on Door

On one of my photo walks in search for street art I found this beautiful work on a wooden door. I simply took the picture unknowingly of the relevance of the place. At home, and upon zooming in I found that little black sign on the right that says: Ficomic and a small one in white that read, Palau 4 entlo. 1. So far so good. I googled up the company's web and learned that they organize the Salón del Cómic de Barcelona and Salón del Manga both events having great significance in the cultural agenda of the city. So I hope this artsy door acquires the relevance it deserves.

Graffiti on Ancient Door, Casa de la Congregació de la Puríssima Sang, Plaza del Pi, Barcelona

Well, not much. Some flashy graffiti on some Barri Gotic rickety door. An interesting combination of present and past considering in this case, that the door belongs to an ancient building. And there is where this spontaneous, beautiful artistic manifestation loses every righteous meaning and becomes insulting to the eye of anyone who respects Barcelona's cultural heritage. 

This magnificent door is located at Plaza del Pi number 1. It is one of the entrances to the Casa de la Congregació de la Puríssima Sang (House of the Congregation of the Holy Blood) built in 1342 upon Santa Maria del Pi church rectory. It was later remodeled in 1613 and 1789. 

On top of the door there is an encryption in Latin related to the activity of the congregation. I tried to google the meaning and not without some trouble I found this: "And I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and will kill every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am the Lord and the blood shall be unto you for a sign in the houses where you shall be; and I shall see the blood, and shall pass over you; and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I shall strike the land of Egypt" Exodus XII (strange cause the encryption seems to read XI). Guess what, their mission was to offer spiritual support to those sentenced to death on their way to the scaffold. 

Early in the morning, members wearing black robes and hoods gathered in this very house to grab the Holy Christ figure and go for the condemned to start the walk towards their final destination. After the execution took place bodies were buried in the church graveyard which happened to be where the square is at present. 

So, going back to the start, and although the building is somehow neglected by authorities, do you think this graffiti has been drawn on the right place? 

Check the exact location on my Barcelona map.es

Door Knocker Detail

Here is one of the many silent witnesses of Barcelona's history, resisting the passing of time, worn out by the action of so many hands that are here no more, bitten by its feline companion for ages, casting its monotonous call: knock...knock...knock. There are many of these in the city. Here are some others I published in the past: Lion Head Door Knocker, Rusty Door Knocker, Vandalized Door Knocker and Knocker on Chocolate Color Door.

Lion Head Door Knocker

This is a detail of a lion head door knocker on a building located at carrer de la Mercé 14, a small street paralel to La Mercé church, home of the Virgen de la Mercè, patron saint of Barcelona. To be more specific the knocker is located on the very corner of such street and carrer Boltres. According to historical records Boltres was a family that owned properties in the area in the XIV century. Check the place on my Google Map.

Casa Mila: A Whole Lotta Door

Caught in the spiderweb of art, I fell I had to show you the door from within.

Check the outside here.

A whole lot of ironwork for a door, a huge smashing blow to all former architectural styles, the opening gates to the land of impossible things.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to La Pedrera and the imagination of Antoni Gaudi.

Door Ironwork at Casa Mila or La Pedrera

This is a frontal view of the fabulous ironwork door at Casa Mila aka La Pedrera by Gaudi.

Check this great link: Iron and Metals in the Works of Gaudi

Vandalized Door Knocker or Modern Art

In a narrow alley there was this big door knocker with human face which probably has silently witnessed some important episodes of Catalan history or at least has adorned the lives of many passerbies with its beautiful design. Nevertheless, some bastard decided to leave his hoofprints on it just to satisfy his ego. Now from the distance it looks like some old African shield or a voodoo symbol, but on a second glance it only provokes sadness.

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Knocker on Chocolate Color Door at El Raval Quarter, Barcelona

Door knockers may adopt different shapes like hands, animals, flowers, weapons, etc. Imagination has been particularly rich in the creation of these simple artifacts that prevent people from breaking their knuckles when slamming on a big door. I wanted to show you this hand I found at El Raval quarter covered in thick chocolate color paint. I liked the light on the smooth surface so I thought you might like it as well. Here is a good link to more images of knockers I found at a stock photography site (I am trying hard not to play on words, believe me :)

Sagrada Familia: The Passion Façade Gates

The portico of the Passion Façade at the Sagrada Família is an austere stage where stone, light and shadow narrate the final hours of Christ. Its angular volumes, hard lines and sharp edges deliberately contrast with the softness of the Nativity side, underlining the pain and drama of the scene.

Work on this part of the temple began in 1954, and the sculptures by Josep Maria Subirachs push Gaudí’s language toward a modern, almost cubist severity that feels strikingly contemporary when compared with the earlier, exuberant carvings of the Nativity Façade. As a modest sample of all that can be discovered here, this engraved metal gate is covered with raised letters and symbols, including a passage from Matthew 26:39, so visitors literally “read” the Gospel as they pass through the portal.