The discovery of the original Casa Batlló lift

"An exceptional discovery by Andrea Speziali, a young Italian expert in Liberty art: in Italy there is a precious lift cabin belonging to Casa Batllò in Barcelona. The prestigious residence, designed by Antoni Gaudì between 1904 and 1907, has become one of the most famous architectures in the world in Art Nouveau style.

Fascinated by the beauty of the work, a wealthy collector from southern Italy purchases the lift cabin a few months ago from a private individual and turns to Dr. Speziali to obtain his expertise. The studies and research conducted by the scholar lead the work back to Casa Batllò in Barcelona. Spezie says.

The blown glass, the sign-color trend of the decorations and the joints are the same as those found in the house designed by Gaudì. The wood (mahogany), and the internal flooring of the cabin, is the same used for doors and windows of the Barcelona house.
Another confirmation is linked, according to the young Italian expert, to the metals used for the cabin handles, once again, the same used for Casa Batllò.
A note of relief is obtained from the dimensions of the current Casa Batllò lift that match the measurements of the historic cabin (135 x 127 x 265 h), also considering the interlocking thickness of its base intended to level the structure to the floor.
These are all elements that contribute to supporting the originality of the work assembled by the Fuster & Fabra Hermanos company based in Barcelona.
And again, the story told by the son of the Spanish entrepreneur, who during the Franco period transported the cabin to Palermo where the family resides, gives us back the memory of when he was a child in the time when his father, active in the construction sector, had recovered , from buildings under renovation or demolition, several properties together with the Art Nouveau cabin.

The design idea of ​​the cabin, in the opinion of Andrea Speziali, endorsed by other Italian and Spanish experts and art critics, starts from Gaudì who would have commissioned the design from Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

The exprertise, issued to the current owner of the cabin, highlights the elements that support this hypothesis such as the cutting of the wood and the geometric and natural decorations on the corners of the cabin roof. When the director and officials of Casa Batllò learned that the cabin is located in Italy and saw the photos for the first time, they were surprised by its beauty and elegance, not without a hint of envy.

Even in the awareness that a return to Casa Batllò would not be possible, the possibility that the Casa Batllò managing body organizes a conference in Spain where Speziali, together with the greatest expert in Gaudian art, can discuss the discovery is not excluded.
The comments that have emerged in recent days on the Iberian peninsula, regarding the news of the happy discovery, testify to a certain rivalry between the two countries while neglecting, at the same time, the historical and cultural roots that Spain and Italy have in common. What is certain is that, at least for once, our country has shown particular attention to the heritage of art and culture. There is the thought of exhibiting to the public in 2017, in absolute preview, the booth in the exhibition path of an exhibition focused on the work of the famous architect Liberty Giuseppe Sommaruga on the centenary of his death. Andrea Speziali's will, as curator of the exhibition, is to tickle the viewer by showing different foreign properties on display. (Text by Cecilia Casadei) "