Les cases de l'Onyar: the soul of Girona

One of the most traditional views of the city.

Monapart Girona invites you to a retrospective walk, from the 15th century to the present day, around the most recognised (and photographed!) face of Girona: the houses of l'Onyar.

In Girona we are fortunate to have, among other charms, an architectural ensemble that forms part of theInventory of the Architectural Heritage of Catalonia: les cases de l'Onyar.

I don't think there is anyone who thinks of Girona and doesn't remember the iconic image of the coloured houses on the river Onyar.

We would spend hours looking from one side of the river to the other, observing that each house is different but that, precisely, what unites them is the diversity of colours of their façades. This colour palette, although it may seem random, was well studied by a couple of artists from the city.

A bit of history of Girona...

In the 15th century, there were no houses on Carrer Argenteria (the well-known Rambla) and the level of traffic was more than 4 metres below the current level. The first houses that began to be built there were fishermen's houses, which were located next to the wall, close to the river. The medieval wall was built on the banks of the river in the 14th century. In the 16th century, the first houses began to be built on top of the wall, which gradually became integrated into its interior. Spontaneously and continuously, buildings appeared on the west side of the Rambla, built as rebuildings of the old constructions on the wall, basically built during the last century. They grew in height and incorporated overhangs, especially from the 19th century onwards, resulting in a highly diverse ensemble. Before the walls were demolished, the area was considered one of the most degraded.

In 1982, the Generalitat's plan to renovate the old towns of Catalonia placed the city of Girona in a preferential position, and this allowed the historic work to be carried out on the façades of the river, restoring the structure of the houses and repainting all the façades, while recovering their original colours. The intervention was not only superficial, but was also carried out on the volumes that had been damaged, with wall tiles, wooden roofs, sapphires, common areas, galleries, all of them with hygienic, structural and comfort deficiencies...

The architects of Girona Josep Fuses and Joan Maria Viader were the ones in charge of directing the restoration, while the artists Enric Ansesa and Jaume Faixó carried out the work that defined the chromatic arrangement of the houses through the colour chart of the Barri Vell. In 2010, the façades of the houses in the Pont de Sant Agustí sector were refurbished, intervening on the roofs, the river façades -modifying the original colour slightly-, and improving the sanitary services.

The façades are the interesting elements that show the evolution of these houses, which have different volumes that were built overhanging the river, with narrow crumbling walls that do not follow the same alignment. The openings are of varying size and shape, although the horizontal ones predominate, with a low ceiling on the ground floor, with mullions every 70 or 80 cm, wooden and glass windows and shutters that can be rolled up.

The study of the colours was based on those existing in the houses along the river and in the Barri Vell in general, which were synthesised into 32 colours, basically derived from the natural earth. These are also colours that can be seen in towns around Girona. As there was no commercial colour chart on the market that could be adapted to the one studied, and given the impossibility of using traditional techniques (glue painting) with little guarantee of preservation, it was decided to produce our own colour chart, using acrylic paints with a higher resistance to weathering.

The colours that define the chromatic palette for the façades have such beautiful names as: Roig Anglès, Terra de Camp, Terra d'Itàlia, Rosat de l'Albera, Ocre Tallat, Terra d'Escudella fosc, Ocre de Cadira, Ocre de Fang, Terra d'Escudella clar, Blanc Vell, Gris de Boira, Ocre de Sac, Verd de Llècol, Cendra, Cendra d'Església, Verd de Campament, Verd de Noucents, Blau de Costa, Roig Puzzuoli, Ocre Indi, Havana Fosc, Verd Cadaqués, Verd d'Ombra, Verd d'Alzina, Blau Neutre, Blau Vell, Verd de Crom fosc, Gris de Payne, Terrós de Van Dick, Verd de Cacera, Oliva Profund...

One of the most outstanding houses in L'Onyar, and the only one open to the public, is the Masó Houseborn in the birthplace of the architect Rafael Masó i Valentí. Located at number 29 Carrer Ballesteries, it is one of the most important works of its architecture and has become a symbol of Noucentisme in Girona. It is the result of the union of four houses that the family acquired between the 19th and early 20th centuries. The façade of the Onyar house can be identified by its white colour, which stands out from the rest. The house has been preserved with the furniture and decoration of the noucentista period, and offers a unique view of the city. A highly recommended visit!

The view of the façades from any of the bridges is very interesting, because the intensity of their colours changes depending on the sun: in the morning, the houses on the west side of the river are lit up, but they are in darkness when the sun shines brightly on the other side in the afternoon. One of the most curious images can be found on a rainy day, when the houses on the river can be distinguished with a lot of light, but there in the background, at the top of them and above the rain, the bell tower of Sant Fèlix and the cathedral rise up.

Thanks to the recovery of the Barri Vell as a centre of commercial and tourist activity, the image of the coloured façades has become one of the best-known attractions of the capital of Girona. They have become the advertising face of the city. In fact, we're sure we won't find a day during the year - no matter how dark, sad and grey it is - when there isn't someone taking a photo from a bridge!