Bellesguard, Barcelona

Bellesguard, high on the Collserola slopes above Barcelona, built between 1900 and 1909 for the widow of Jaume Figueras on the site of a medieval royal residence of King Martin I. Gaudí answered the history with a slim stone castle of his own, all pointed windows and crenellations in the earthy local stone. The detail to look for is the spire, topped by his four-armed cross. It is a family home that opens for limited visits, quieter than the city-center houses and with a long view over Barcelona.