Park Güell, in Barcelona, was made by the architect Antoni Gaudí, constructed during his naturalist phase in the early 20th century. He had the support of his patron, Eusebi Güell. Together, they envisioned a project that would transform a natural park into an organized cluster of high-quality homes, equipped with the latest technological advancements to ensure maximum comfort and topped off with an artistic touch.
They were inspired by the English garden city movement, but the project failed. The members of Barcelona’s bourgeoisie were unwilling to reside in the mountains, no matter how beautiful they were. It was difficult to get there; in the early 20th century, carriages were needed to access that wonderful site.
During the construction of Park Güell, the architect Antoni Gaudí envisioned a large hypostyle hall with a “forest” of 86 Doric-style columns inspired by the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.
The architect Josep Maria Jujol, close collaborator of Gaudí, designed four suns to represent the seasons of the year and 14 moons.
The movement of these celestial bodies dictates the growth of agricultural products intended for the market that was to be installed there. Jujol used the collage technique, including trencadís of ceramics and fragments of bottles, plates, cups, and even some broken porcelain dolls, techniques that would later be adopted by the cubists.
The four suns follow the same pattern: a 20-pointed star with finely defined edges, enclosing a long ribbon that forms two symmetrical loops. Color: green or blue for the backgrounds, and orange or white, depending on the season represented.
The Doric Hypostyle Hall. Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes.
Apollo was aligned with the sun, and his twin sister Artemis was associated with the moon. Thus, the colonnade could be seen as a testament to both the sun and the moon, embodying day and night, masculinity and femininity. Apollo personified the illumination of truth and acted as a purifying force. Artemis, the Hellenistic goddess of the hunt, wild creatures, childbirth, virginity, and young women, had the power to heal women’s ailments. Descendant of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, she held a place in the pantheon of the twelve Olympian deities.
The presence of these decorations on the ceiling of a market invokes Hermes, the god who oversees industry and commerce. The suns in these adornments feature an inner ribbon. This same motif decorates Hermes’ attribute, a magical staff attributed to him according to the Homeric hymn, gifted by Apollo. Centuries later, artists transformed these ribbons into snakes. Additionally, two distinctive crosses emerge.
Jujol used his imaginative capacity to craft these messages, a mark he infused into all his creations, perhaps leaving enigmatic messages to be deciphered in the future.
In agriculture, the moon plays a fundamental role, contributing to the growth, sprouting, and fruition of crops.
Popular beliefs and scientific research attest to the moon’s impact on tides, human activities, and agriculture. Familiar sayings such as “don’t plant yet, it’s not a full moon” or “your crops will flourish if you plant them during the waxing moon” reflect this idea.
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