Travel and Discover! All aboard!FIRST STOP: SPAIN, BARCELONA!

I will tell you about Palau de la Música Catalana´. Built by architect Lewis Domenech-i-Montaner. It is the only hall in Europe with natural light. In 1997, the Palace of Catalan music was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Now, various performances are held in the palace: musical performances, concerts of symphonic and chamber music, jazz and Catalan songs. The palace was conceived with a double purpose: Catalan Orpheon (Orfeó Català) as a concert hall and as headquarters for the choral society of Catalan music. The building was built mainly with donations of citizens; the first stone was laid on 23th of April in 1905. The construction itself took less than three years and in February 1908 it was opened. The facade decoration organically includes elements of many styles, for example, elements of traditional Spanish and Arabic architecture. On the main facade above the columns are large busts of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and the bust of Richard Wagner is a little apart. The upper part of the facade is decorated with mosaics created by Lewis Brèu y Salelles. This large allegorical mosaic depicts members of the Orfeó Català choir. The ceiling is a dome consisting of colored glass mosaic. The walls, as well as the ceiling, consist mainly of stained glass from stained glass. In the hall you can see a lot of sculptures made by masters of the beginning of the XX-th century. Among them are sculptures depicting the flight of Valkyries from the opera by Richard Wagner, a bust of Ludwig van Beethoven and sculptures of winged horses (pegasus). In the center of the stage is the flag of Catalonia. On the stage itself, there are 18 female sculptures depicting Greek muses. Above the stage is an organ, the pipes of which symbolize male choral voices. The concert hall can accommodate 2200 people. In 1971, the Palace was declared a national monument of Spain. At one time, celebrities from all over the world shone here, including Sviatoslav Richter, Rostislav Rostropovich and Montserrat Caballe. I was delighted having been in such a unique place! I advise you to visit him and learn something new for yourself! MOVE ON!