Umbrella House's Dragon - Barcelona, Spain
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denben
N 41° 22.881 E 002° 10.400
31T E 430877 N 4581421
Casa Bruno Cuadros, or Umbrella House is a building located on Las Ramblas nº 82, in Barcelona. It is protected as a cultural asset of local interest.
Waymark Code: WMQKFN
Location: Cataluña, Spain
Date Posted: 02/27/2016
Views: 12
In 1854, the trader Bruno Cuadros Vidal rented a shop located on the ground floor of an austere group of three houses. His store of umbrellas, parasols, handheld fans and shawls being successful, he gradually acquired the three houses and built a brand new building in 1858. The house and shop were completely remodeled by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas between 1883 and 1885, a few years before the Barcelona's Universal Exhibition of 1888.
The Casa Bruno Cuadros’s most opulent decorative element is the ornate Chinese dragon on the corner of the building, work of Vilaseca. The dragon has a hand fan on its back and is holding a lantern, and below it there is an umbrella attached to a balcony. Both the handheld fan and the umbrella were advertising the Bruno Cuadros' shop.
The building was refurbished in 1980 and now the BBVA Bank has its premises in the beautiful umbrella shop of Barcelona.
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. The dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles, fish, and imaginary creatures, but they are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it.
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