Antoni Gaudà left few reminders of his genius beyond Catalonia, but of them the 1885 Capricho is easily the most flamboyant. This brick building, one of GaudÃ’s earliest works and originally a summer playpad for the Marqués de Comillas’ sister-in-law’s brother, is striped all over the outside with ceramic bands of alternating sunflowers and green leaves. The elegant interior is comparatively restrained, with quirky touches including artesonado ceilings (interlaced beams with decorative insertions), stained-glass windows and slim spiral staircases.
It’s worth watching the video in the greenhouse/conservatory before you go round inside. In the back garden, a bronze-sculpted Gaudà gazes upon his creation.