El Capricho de Comillas

El Capricho was built between 1883 and 1885 for Maximo Diaz de Quijano, a wealthy man who had made money in Cuba, as a summer villa, and it is one of only three Gaudi buildings outside Catalonia. Gaudi never visited the site, sending drawings from Barcelona and leaving execution to an assistant. The building is brick faced in bands of yellow ceramic tiles moulded with sunflowers and green leaves, with a cylindrical tower over the entrance that reads as a minaret, resting on four columns. Inside, the plan follows the sun, with rooms placed to catch light at the hours their function required, and the conservatory and the sash windows have counterweights that sound chimes as they open. Quijano died weeks after completion.

What to look for

• The sunflower tiles - moulded ceramic bands covering the brick facade.
• The minaret tower - a cylindrical entrance tower on four columns.
• The sun-following plan - rooms arranged by the light each needed.
• The musical windows - sash counterweights that chime when opened.

When to go

April to June and September to November; the villa is open year-round with reduced winter hours. It is far quieter than Gaudi's Barcelona buildings and rarely requires booking.

Before you go

The house is small and the visit takes about ninety minutes. Gaudi never saw the site, and the execution is by others to his drawings. The garden is compact and the setting suburban.

Nearby

The Comillas pontifical university and Sobrellano palace are alongside; Santillana lies east.