Part of the “discord bloc”, casa Batllo is one of a few houses that have made a patch of Passeig the Gracia famous. In spanish manzana means both “block” and “apple” making this a pun – the apple of Discord, referring to the very different styles of homes next to each other.
Casa Batllo is another Gaudi building. Once a boring flat complex, Antoni Gaudi was commissioned to demolish and rebuild, he convinced Josep Batllo i Casanovas, its owner, to refurbish it instead in 1902.
One of the distinctive features of the house is the roof terrace due to its famous dragon back design. The tiles on the roof make it look like scales of a dragon and the cross it is said to represent a sword insinuating when the knight saved the princess from the fearsome dragon.
This house also has a lift that was first installed by Gaudi and is now used only for less mobile visitors or in case of emergencies. I can say for certain that more than 100 years later, it still works.
Es increíble como se distingue el estilo de Gaudí!!