When you’re walking around Barcelona, first, make sure to look up. The architecture is amazing and it is easy to miss a beautiful building or view. But don’t forget to look down too. Barcelona sidewalks are created with different tiles in different neighborhoods. We haven’t discovered all of them, but we have found quite a few!
The most common is the Flor de Barcelona (Barcelona Flower). This tile features a flower with four petals, a design symbolizing Barcelona, and is even a part of one of my tattoos. It’s one of the most iconic and widely recognized tiles in the city and is becoming a favorite for art and souvenirs.
When work needs to be done on pipes or wires, they usually just jackhammer up the tiles, make repairs, and lay new ones down. We have had more than a couple friends dumpster-dive to find good tiles to bring home.
Side Story
On Saint Jordi, we found this little decorated tile, which fit the occasion perfectly. If you’re not familiar with Saint Jordi (and we weren’t until we moved here), it is a celebration of Sant Jordi (Saint George), the patron saint of Catalonia. The celebration commemorates the legend of Saint George slaying a dragon to save a princess. Now, it is a celebration of Books & Roses. Men traditionally give roses to women, and women give books to men, although nowadays, it’s common for both genders to exchange both roses and books. This custom combines the celebration of love with a celebration of literature.
Back to the tiles
Here are some of the other cool tiles we have found around town.
And every once in a while, we will find a tile laid upside down, showing the designer’s initials.
Gaudí
Beyond the Flor de Barcelona, the other most famous tile is the Panot Gaudí. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, this tile is decorated with motifs of marine life, such as starfish, algae, and ammonites. If you have been to La Sagrada Familia, you know how everything he did was very organic and incorporated nature.
These are harder to come by, but we did find an abandoned one once when work was being done on a pedestrian street. It is proudly displayed on our patio.
Now look back up
If you see a tile with this red circle, it signifies a building of historical significance, so it is a good time to look back up and check out the architecture again!
