Botines House, also known as Fernández y Andrés House, is a beautiful modernist-style building that originally served as a commercial warehouse as well as the private residence of the well-known merchant Juan Homs y Botines. Its enormous attraction lies in the fact that it was designed and built by the brilliant architect Antonio Gaudí between 1891 and 1892.
Botines House is a unique work in itself because it is one of the very few works that Gaudí created outside of Barcelona and Catalonia. Also, it is located in an emblematic place in the city, surrounded by other monuments of great importance such as Guzmanes Palace and St. Dominic Square.
This building is from the neo-Gothic period that developed between 1888 and 1898. Gaudí was inspired by medieval Gothic works interpreted, in turn, fluidly and freely within his peculiar and characteristic style, which later made him world famous.
Gaudí eliminated excessive openwork and cresting and also replaced the buttresses with ruled surfaces.
Botines House is one of the artistic pinnacles of the late 19th century in the city of Leon and has fostered enormous interest among tourists, especially academics and students of fine arts and architecture.
Both its original conception and splendid beauty made Botines House worthy of the declaration of Asset of Cultural Interest and Historical-Artistic Monument in 1969.
In 1996, the building underwent a thorough restoration to completely recover its original splendour. Currently, it is the headquarters of the Botines House Gaudí Museum.
What to see in Leon