Artigas gardens

At the beginning of the 20th century, Eusebi Güell founded the Asland cement factory and commissioned Antoni Gaudí to design the Catllaras chalet to house the workers. As a result, Gaudí had to live in the home of the Artigas family in La Pobla de Lillet. To express his gratitude he designed them a garden where nature and architecture come together in perfect harmony.

This garden was built around the source of the Llobregat river and a factory. As we wander through the garden we come across numerous ornate railings and flower beds, fountains, bridges, waterfalls, squares, viewpoints, benches and sculptures, among other things.

Most of the building work is made up of stone and mortar, which is either highly reinforced or not very reinforced at all. To create the garden, the natural vegetation in the area was brought into play and other trees like the poplar were added.

As far as the history of this garden is concerned, we must say that Eusebi Güell had commissioned the architect Antoni Gaudí to design the chalet in Catllaràs as a home for the workers and engineers of the Catllaràs mines, as a cement factory was founded nearby. During his stay in La Pobla de Lillet, Gaudí had stayed in the home of the Artigas family, owners of another nearby factory. Out of gratitude for the hospitality received, Gaudí gave them the design for the Jardins Artigas, gardens which were planned for a piece of land that the family owned just in front of their house and the textile factory.

Today, the Jardins Artigas are classed as an Asset of Local Cultural Interest, belong to the local council and are open to the public.