Casa Vicens Gaudí celebrates the traditional blessing of the Santa Rita roses

Gaudí’s first house upholds this popular tradition with the blessing of roses in its garden and a floral decoration by the events icon Toni Seguí 

Tickets to visit this World Heritage Site on the day of Santa Rita will have a 50% discount 

Gaudí’s first house has been closely linked to the celebration of Santa Rita since the 18th century, as there was a spring on the grounds of the property whose carbonated waters began to be marketed, achieving great popularity at the end of the 19th century. In the 20th century, a chapel was built to house the fountain, but in 1963 it was demolished to build a large block of buildings. 

Despite the disappearance of the chapel, the tradition has been kept alive thanks to the former owners, the Herrero-Jover family who, every May 22, opened the doors of the garden to celebrate this day and bless the roses of Santa Rita. In 2017, with the opening of Casa Vicens as a house-museum, the new owners took on the commitment to the Vila de Gràcia to continue the tradition of Santa Rita by celebrating the blessing in the garden.  

Carrer de les Carolines will be filled with charity roses  

On Monday, May 22, the day of Santa Rita, Carrer de les Carolines will hold several activities to celebrate the day of the patron saint of the impossible. On the one hand, the church of the Hijas de la Caridad de San Vicente de Paúl, located at number 16, will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will host the traditional mass of Saint Rita at 11 a.m. Later on, from 11.30 to 12.30, in the garden of the neighbouring Casa Vicens, the blessing of the roses will take place in several rounds. Access to this blessing will be free for all those who visit the house with the rose. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a stand selling roses and candles in front of Casa Vicens, the proceeds of which will go entirely to the Centre Heura, an entity based in Gràcia that provides social and welfare services to those who are homeless, in a situation of severe poverty and/or exclusion.  

Toni Seguí will be in charge of the floral decoration at Casa Vicens 

From Saturday the 20th to Monday the 22nd, the Casa Vicens covered porch will feature a floral display of roses created by a European icon in this type of decoration, designer Toni Seguí, who has more than 20 years’ experience creating remarkable spaces.  

In order to spread the tradition and enjoy the floral decor, on May 22 tickets to visit Casa Vicens will be offered with a 50% discount. You can obtain this discount using the code SANTARITA when you purchase the free visit or the guided tour at www.casavicens.org. 

The history of Santa Rita at Casa Vicens 

The connection of Gaudí’s first house with the celebration of Santa Rita dates back to the second half of the 18th century when on the land surrounding Casa Vicens there was a convalescent home of the Discalced Carmelite Fathers of the “Josepets”, in the current Plaça Lesseps. These Carmelites, surprised by the rapid recovery from various ailments by the people who drank water from the spring that flowed through the land, decided to dedicate the place to Santa Rita, patron saint of impossible causes.  

In 1886, just one year after the completion of the construction of Casa Vicens, these carbonated waters were declared of public utility and they began to be commercialised. But it was not until 1927, with the expansion of Casa Vicens, that it was decided that a chapel would be built to house this natural fountain. That chapel was included in the Casa Vicens estate until 1946 when various garden plots located between the chapel and the house were sold, separating the chapel from Gaudí’s construction. Finally, in 1963, the land was sold and the chapel was demolished to build a large block of buildings on the corner of Carrer de les Carolines and Avinguda de la Riera de les Cassoles. 

Living tradition 

The Herrero-Jover family, who lived in Casa Vicens from 1899 to 2014, began to open the garden doors every May 22 to continue the tradition and the neighbourhood came to celebrate this day and drink water from the natural mineral-medicinal water source. Despite the disappearance of the chapel, today the tradition of Santa Rita is still very much alive in the collective memory of the neighbourhood. For this reason, after the rehabilitation and opening to the public of Casa Vicens in 2017 as a house-museum, the commitment to continue the tradition and pay tribute to the saint every May 22 remains.