The 1894 fast
During Lent 1894 Gaudi fasted so strictly he nearly died. His doctor and friend Bishop Torras i Bages had to beg him to eat. The fast marked his religious turn.
Upside-down chain models
To design Sagrada Familia's columns, Gaudi hung weighted strings upside down to find natural load-bearing curves. Then he photographed them and flipped the photos.
Vegetarian and water-cure
Gaudi was a strict vegetarian. He believed in Father Kneipp's water cure and walked barefoot on grass at sunrise. He brewed nettles into tea.
The Sagrada Familia workshop
From 1925 he lived onsite in his workshop. He shared meals with the basilica builders and slept on a cot. His only personal items were a cup, a plate and a Bible.
Mistaken for a beggar
On 7 June 1926 a tram hit him. His shabby clothes and lack of ID led taxi drivers to refuse to take him to hospital. He was eventually transferred to Santa Creu, a paupers' hospital.
No marriage proposal accepted
Gaudi proposed once, to American teacher Pepita Moreu in Mataro in 1884. She turned him down. He never sought another partner.
Funeral attended by half of Barcelona
When Gaudi died on 10 June 1926, half of Barcelona attended the funeral procession from Hospital Santa Creu to the Sagrada Familia, where he was buried in the crypt.
Frequently asked questions
- Was Gaudi vegetarian?
- Yes. Gaudi adopted strict vegetarianism in the 1890s, influenced by Father Kneipp's health movement. He preferred raw lettuce and nettle tea.
- Did Gaudi ever marry?
- No. He proposed once in 1884 to Pepita Moreu in Mataro. She rejected him. After 1894 he turned ascetic and never sought a relationship again.
- Where is Gaudi buried?
- In the crypt of the Sagrada Familia, in the Chapel of the Virgin of Carmen. His tomb is visible during the visit to the basilica museum.