A legend and a legendary home Apr 23, 2019

A legend and a legendary home

To celebrate Sant Jordi’s Day today, we’re studying the intricate façade of Casa Batlló in Barcelona, Spain. The holiday is the Catalan celebration of Saint George’s Day, which is observed throughout Europe. According to legend, Jordi (Catalan for ‘George’) saved a princess from the clutches of a terrible dragon. After rescuing her, the knight gave the damsel a red rose, which has become an important symbol of the holiday in Catalonia. As it happens, Spaniards also celebrate April 23 as Book Day, marking the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, the famous 16th- and 17th-century Spanish writer. So here in Barcelona, both roses and books are given to loved ones on Sant Jordi’s Day, while music and dancing fill the streets. We might pause in our revelry to spend some time taking in Casa Batlló, designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. The building is heavily inspired by Sant Jordi’s legend, with red roses on the balconies, and a roof made to look like dragon scales.

© Jon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Apr 23, 2018National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
Apr 23, 2020Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck...
Apr 23, 2021A house of grand scale(s)
Apr 23, 2022World Book Day
Apr 23, 2023World Book Day
Apr 23, 2024World Book Day
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Apr 23, 2026Shakespeare Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 9, 2024Llama Day
May 22, 2024International Day for Biological Diversity
Jul 13, 2019Batten down the hatches
Mar 20, 2025Spring equinox
Aug 21, 2018Ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier
Dec 12, 2020What are we looking at?
Aug 3, 2024Three Natural Bridges, Wulong Karst, China
Oct 1, 2022Yosemite National Park turns 132
Jun 28, 2020Keep shining
Nov 3, 2025World Jellyfish Day
Jan 18, 2026White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Aug 7, 2023National Lighthouse Day
Jun 8, 2025World Oceans Day
Nov 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Nov 1, 2020Native American Heritage Month
Apr 24, 2024White trilliums blooming in Ontario, Canada
Apr 10, 2020Brotherly cubs
Sep 14, 2020Tiny fliers head south
Dec 19, 2022Northern cardinal in winterberry bush
Jul 2, 2019Sequential images of a total solar eclipse
Nov 1, 2019The National Museum of the American Indian
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
Nov 11, 2018Poppies for Armistice Day
Aug 22, 2019Dancing waters of Dubai
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Feb 16, 2021Mardi Gras flower power
Aug 24, 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument anniversary
Mar 5, 2020The desert blooms
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Apr 18, 2024International Day for Monuments and Sites