No matter what you know already, this provocative surrealist painter and writer from Catalonia will surprise you. Dalí's early years were dominated by Impressionism at drawing school but he soon joined avant-garde movements together with Luis Buñuel and Federico García Lorca to finally embrace Surrealism where he developed his own naturalistic style, both modern and polemic.
Departing Barcelona, you will set out on the 86 mile trip to Figueres, located in the northern part of Catalonia. The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by the artist. Opened in 1974, the museum was built upon the remains of a former theatre. It contains a range of works spanning the artistic career of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) Even the building itself is the World's largest surrealist object including entire rooms that are not what they seem. Although the work exhibited is basically by Dalí, there are also works by other artists who Dalí wanted to include: El Greco, Marià Fortuny, Modest Urgell, Ernest Meissonier, Marcel Duchamp, and Gerard Dou among others.
After your visit, you will continue on to the town of Girona, a jewel of culture and history acquired over 2000 years of existence. Many cultures have left their imprint on the streets of the city Iberians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Jews, Christians… they have created unforgettable places. Your walking tour will take you through the medieval quarter; a collection of narrow streets lined with predominately buildings and houses from the 12th to the 18th centuries. You will visit St. Mary's Cathedral which was built between the 11th and 17th centuries A.D. The church's architecture reflects several of the styles that came and went during its construction. The nave of the church is the widest arched span in the world. The Arab baths are actually Romanesque in design and architecture. They received their name due to some Muslim architectural features bearing some similarity to Arab baths. The Jewish Quarter is the best preserved in Spain and possibly the most remarkable in Europe. The Jews' influence and teachings were far-reaching throughout Europe. The former Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu is an ancient building, dating back to the earliest ages of Christianity that reflects Romanesque, Gothic and baroque architecture. The genuine Romanesque interior features a Gothic nave and eight extraordinarily well-preserved Roman and early Christian sepulchers. The Monastery of Saint Pere de Galligants is an excellent example of Lombard-style Romanesque construction from the 12th century A.D. The monasteries sheer size and remarkably interesting cloister make it one of the most outstanding specimens of Catalan Romanesque architecture. Today, it is home to the Museum of Archaeology. Cases de l'Onyar, the houses along the Onyar, are stone houses along the river that were built in the middle Ages. The porticoed facades, steep and narrow alleys, and brightly colored stone houses make this a unique site. After your visit, you will return to Barcelona.
