Empordá, the mythical paradise

Is it still necessary to introduce the man who is considered one of the great exponents of Surrealism? Born in Figueres on May 11, 1904, at Carrer Monturiol no. 20, Salvador Dalí i Domènech, first Marquis de Dalí de Púbol, was not only a painter, but also a sculptor, engraver and draughtsman, and worked with numerous photographers such as Man Ray and Brassaï. He also collaborated on numerous films, such as Luis Buñuel's Un chien andalou(1929). That same year, 1929, he met his future wife and muse, Gala, Elena Ivanovna Diakonova. Dalí's most famous works include the famous soft watches, painted in 1931 and analyzed as a reference to Einstein's theory of relativity; the unmissable Perpignan railway station (1965), the center of the world according to the artist; the Torero Hallucinogène (1969), painted according to the paranoid-critical method developed by Dalí; and Christ of St. John of the Cross (1951), one of his best-known paintings with religious motifs. Formed in the 20s in Madrid, where he befriended great names in Spanish art such as Federico García Lorca, Luis Buñuel and many actors of the Generation of '27, but also in Paris, where he met Picasso and the Surrealist group in the 30s, this imaginative, narcissistic and megalomaniacal artist was often obsessed by the same themes: dreams, sexuality, edibles, religion and his wife, Gala. But he also owed much of his inspiration to the Catalonia of his roots, and in particular to the Empordà, which he defined as follows: "In this privileged place, the real and the sublime are almost one and the same. My mythical paradise begins on the Empordà plain, surrounded by the hills of the Alberes, and finds its fullness in the bay of Cadaqués. This land is my constant inspiration In this region, the port of Cadaqués served as his "backdrop, support and stage curtain", while the Cap de Creus area represented "the most concrete landscape in the world". It is therefore in this land of her birth that we find one of the matrices of her creative genius. Passing through Portlligat, Púbol and Figueres will give you the opportunity to explore the Dalinian triangle of the Costa Brava. After his death on January 23, 1989, he was buried in Figueres, inside the theater-museum and a stone's throw from the San Pere church where he was baptized and made his First Communion. As he wished.

Figueres, the museum as theatre

As you discover this Dalinian triangle, your first steps will take you to Figueres, whose star attraction is the Dalí Theatre-Museum. This is both his last and greatest work. Over a period of more than ten years, the master transformed the town's former theater to build this very special object, whose red castle-like silhouette, topped by immense white eggs crowning the roof, contrasts powerfully with the visuals of Figueres town center. His starting point was a very specific location and approach, which he has always clearly asserted. In the first place, everything led him to favor a theater for three reasons, which he stated as follows: "Firstly, because I am an eminently theatrical painter; secondly, because the theater is right in front of the church where I was baptized; and thirdly, because it was precisely in the theater's vestibule room that my first painting exhibition was held. His ambition was also to create something special: "This museum cannot be considered a museum", Dalí explained, "it's a gigantic surrealist object where everything is coherent and nothing escapes my understanding" When you visit this theater-museum, inaugurated in 1974 and considered to be Dalí's Sistine Chapel, you'll discover a collection of works that will enable you to visualize the entire artistic career of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) through a range of some 1,500 pieces. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, engravings, holograms, stereoscopies and photographs are on the menu of the visit, which is organized around three differentiated areas: the theater-museum proper, the rooms added during the various enlargements and a collection of thirty-nine pieces of jewelry created by Salvador Dalí between 1941 and 1970, all of which are of the utmost beauty. As you move around, you'll come across all the painter's obsessions: ants, soft watches, eggs, sex, mannequins... as well as some of his masterpieces, such as "Galatea of the Spheres" (1952), "The Spectre of Sex Appeal" (1932) and "Galarina" (1944-45). Other highlights include the rainy Cadillac, installed in the theater's former parterre, the painting of Gala looking at the sea or Beethoven in octopus ink, and the Peixateries (fishmonger's) room with a self-portrait of Dalí with grilled bacon and a portrait of Picasso. In June 2017, this noble house was forced by the courts to carry out DNA tests on the painter's remains, located under the dome. The results did not satisfy the plaintiff Pilar Abel, but they did delight lovers of the painter, who were able to see that the master's moustache still displayed its emblematic line, at 10:10 am. Since the theater-museum is so busy, it's best to book a visit at least a month in advance, or to visit in the mornings out of season, in January for example.2023 also saw the opening of Dalí's birthplace, a modernist house designed by architect Josep Azemar, where he lived until the age of 8. An immersive three-storey tour reveals more about the artist's inspirations, the city of Figueres, his beloved Ampurdan and the people he met throughout his life. Before leaving Figueres, take the time to stop off at the Duran restaurant (Carrer Lasauca, 5), where Dalí was a long-time regular, as evidenced by the many photographic images adorning the walls, and especially his former Bodega Ca La Teta. And if you're lucky enough to visit at Christmas time, you'll be greeted by illuminations inspired by Dalí's drawings.

The Portlligat labyrinth

After starting your journey at the place of beginnings and endings, your journey will take you to Cadaqués. Made famous in the early 20th century by artists such as Max Ernst, Paul Eluard, René Magritte, Federico García Lorca, André Breton and Luis Buñuel, this former fishing village was also strongly influenced by the personality of Dalí. His bronze statue adorns the promenade with its back to the sea. Some bars have preserved black-and-white photos of Dalí, but you should also visit the Musée de Cadaqués (Carrer Narcís Monturiol, 15), which regularly hosts temporary exhibitions devoted to the life and work of the man who contributed to Cadaqués' international renown. It was on one of its beaches, Es Llaner, that the artist's father bought a white house at the beginning of the 20th century, which was to become the family vacation spot. When his father became angry with him and evicted him from his estate, Salvador - who had no wish to leave the light and calm of Cadaqués - chose to settle nearby in Portlligat. In 1930, he acquired a fisherman's shack 1 km from Cadaqués, which was to become his first residence with Gala, as well as his studio. Over the years, the site was extended by the purchase of other small fishermen's huts, which he linked together to form what is now the Maison Salvador Dalí de Portlligat. For the artist, an intimate place conducive to work, which he defined as follows: "Portlligat is a place of realization. It's the perfect place for my work. Everything conspires to make it so: time passes more slowly and each hour has the right dimension. There's a geological tranquillity here, a unique planetary case". Accessible by guided tour only, this house-museum in Portlligat takes you into a labyrinthine system designed by the artist to resemble a "biological structure" in which "each new impulse in our lives corresponds to a new cell, a new room". After passing through the bear's vestibule, you'll discover his studio, his library and the oval room, the heart of the house built as a sanctuary for Gala. Dalí's hand is all over the decoration. This surrealist imprint is also present in the exterior elements, with a swimming pool inspired by the fountains of Granada's Alhambra, and a Christ of Waste, made from recycled materials, enthroned on the dovecote. A stroll through the gardens will take you to the heights, where you'll be able to enjoy a beautiful view of the bay that so inspired the artist.

Púbol, the ode to Gala

To reach the third stage of your Dalinian route, you'll have to leave the Upper Empordà and head for the Lower Empordà, to the medieval hamlet of Púbol, 10 km northwest of La Bisbal d'Empordà. It was here, in 1969, that Dalí acquired a 15th-century castle as a gift for his wife to spend her final years. And it was here that she was buried in 1982, in a mausoleum designed by Dalí, with a Giraffe, two horses and a rabbit watching over her grave. The artist only stayed for two years after his wife's death, but his Cadillac has always remained in the garage. Open to visitors since 1996, this house-museum or Château Gala Dalí allows visitors to discover the interior, designed entirely for "Queen Gala", with all its surprising artistic details: colorful candlesticks, a table with ostrich legs, the queen's throne or a limp watch on a coat hanger in a guest room. An eccentric allure also found outside, with a giant fish serving as a fountain and surrounded by sculptures of the head of Gala's favorite composer, Wagner. Outside the "Dalinian triangle", your last stop could be the sanctuary of dels Angels. This is where Dalí and Gala were married in 1958. Its "plus" will not be architectural, but visual, as this promontory in the Gavarres massif guarantees magnificent views over the Costa Brava. It has also become a popular destination for stargazing.