Every corner of Ateneu Barcelonès

The company Cases Singulars, which specialises in guided tours of the interior of original buildings in Barcelona, has added a new space to its catalogue. This spring, and at least until the end of August, it will be possible to discover all the nooks and crannies of the Palau Savassona, the headquarters of the Ateneu Barcelonès, a stately home on Carrer Canuda that was built at the end of the 17th century. Tours are available in Catalan and Spanish, and those who choose to do so on a Saturday afternoon will have the chance to enjoy a jazz concert in the Ateneu's garden, given by percussionist and drummer Ivo Sans and various guest musicians.

This romantic garden is one of the most emblematic places of the Ateneu, but there are many other areas of great interest. Starting with the foyer, a work to adapt the Palau that was commissioned to the architect Josep Font i Gumà and where his assistant, the architect Josep Maria Jujol, left his personal mark. You will soon see the lift, another charismatic element of the place, which was installed by the engineer Enric Cardellach. The large halls of the Ateneu are the fencing hall, the members' hall, the chess hall, the events hall and the Pompeu Fabra hall. The latter was named after the philologist because he was one of the illustrious figures who presided over the organisation -Angel Guimerà, Joan Maragall, Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Oriol Bohigas are just a few others- and dared to defy Primo de Rivera's regime with his speech "The work of purifying Catalan".

A special mention should be made of the Jujol Library, located on the main floor of the old palace, which, in addition to its valuable bibliographic collection, contains wall paintings dating from 1796 by Francesc Pla i Duran, known as "El vigatà". The visit will also include an explanation of how the Ateneu's School of Writing and Humanities, recognised as the second largest in the world, works.

For more information and registration, click on the link.