Following Gaudí’s steps

After Barcelona, this is the town with most works by arquitect Antoni Gaudí (author of Sagrada Familia Cathedral). El Capricho or the Puerta de los Pájaros (made for cars, people and birds) keep alive the essence of the catalan artist in this little Cantabrian corner. But, how did Gaudí arrived to this small village? The response is in a leyend figure: : Antonio López, first marquis of Comillas.

The fortune of the Marquis

Antonio López was born in Comillas in 1817 and came to be one of the richest man in Spain, thanks to his prosperous financial and mercantile businesses. Stablished in Bacelona, the marquis brought the attention of royalty and a varied group of intellectuals towards his hometown. In addition, Antonio López would also order the construction of two important buildings for the village: El Palacio de Sobrellano and the building of the Seminario and Universidad Pontificia.

Apart from hidding stories from the past, Comillas lives in the present. One of the best plans to spend a day in the village is to wander through its stony streets, cross the town hall square and arrive, passing near the puerta de los pájaros,  to the Santa Lucía balcony. From there, we could enjoy a beautiful view of the Cantabrian Sea and the port. After that, we could descend and reach the beach, where a walk (or even a splash) is mandatory.

And what a better plan for the afternoon than enjoying the ambiance in the plaza de la fuente Tres Caños or in one of the terraces of the plazuela Los Cantos. If you are lucky, you would find yourself in the middle of the popular fiestas of the Cristo del Amparo, on 16th July, or Folkcomillas, a traditional music festival on June.