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Picasso and Horta de Sant Joan
In 1898, the young Pablo Picasso - who was only 16 years old - visited Horta de Sant Joan with schoolmate Manuel Pallarès. He would only spend 8 months there. However, this was enough to find out about the day to day country way of life, and to draw it and paint it. The farmers reaping, the woodcutters or the process of olive oil production are just some of the scenes that he immortalized.Eleven years later, when he had become a reaffirmed artist, he returned to Horta de Sant Joan for the summer with his lover Fernande Olivier. This second visit coincided with the beginning of his great Cubist adventure. The streets and the surroundings of the village inspired many pictures, which were painted with geometric shapes, and are now to be found in museums in New York, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Paris or Frankfurt.
What remains from this legacy in Horta de Sant Joan? If you visit the old quarter, you can become more familiar with some of the places linked to the life and the work of the artist. In Church square, for example, is the Trompet hotel where Picasso and Fernande Olivier stayed in the summer of 1909. Close by, is the attic of his friend Tobies Membrado's house, the baker, where Picasso had his studio.
In the outskirts of the town, we can see the sharp-pointed shapes of Santa Barbara mountain, one of the first places where Picasso went during his first visit to Horta de Sant Joan. This scenery captivated the painter so much, that he included it it in several pictures. He summarized this influence years later, with the quote:" Everything I know I learned in Horta". At the foot of this mountain is Sant Salvador Convent, which Picasso painted in the famous picture "The procession to the Convent". The Taffetas farmhouse - belonging to the Pallarès family - or the Quinquet farmhouse, situated near Els Ports massif, were other places which Picasso immortalized with his paintbrush.
To preserve and to promote the legacy left by the Malaga painter in this village, the Picasso Museum in Horta of Sant Joan exhibits facsimile reproductions of almost 200 works painted during his two stays in the village, and also other paintings inspired by the local scenery, which were painted in Barcelona or Paris. A visit to this museum is a great way to end your trip to different Picasso related places in Horta de Sant Joan.
For more information:
Picasso Centre
Raval de l'Hospital, s/n Horta de Sant Joan
Tel. (0034) 977 43 53 30
www.centrepicasso.org
Horta de Sant Joan Town-hall
Plaça de l'Església, 3
Tel. (0034) 977 43 50 05
www.hortadesantjoan.cat
Information from GPS Latitude: N40.95º Longitude : E0.31º
SEE MAP
COMMENT
 HORTA DE SANT JOAN TOURIST OFFICETourist Office
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| Els Ports Natural Park These mountain ranges are very rich in fauna and flora and are in fact, a refuge for many endangered animal and vegetable species
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| Monumental trees, Els Ports National Park The landscape in Els Ports Massif is absolutely spectaluar, as is apparent in some of the Monumental trees which grow there | |
| Flora in Els Ports National Park Els Ports Massif is a veritable paradise for lovers of botany. | |
| Lo Parot, Horta de Sant Joan Lo Parot is a millenial olive tree located in the outskirts of Horta de Sant Joan (Terra Alta) | |
| Horta de Sant Joan. Historical village Horta de Sant Joan is one of the most picturesque villages in the Terra Alta region
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| Els Ports EcoMuseum Museum / Interpretation Centre | |
| The Picasso Centre, Horta de Sant Joan Museum / Interpretation Centre | |
| Picasso and Horta de Sant Joan "Everything I know I learned in Horta", Pablo Picasso
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| La Dolça Tardor Festival, Horta de Sant Joan Display of handmade products
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| Bull-run, Horta de Sant Joan Bull-run through the town streets and an exhibition of dairy cattle
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| Festival in honour of Sant Salvador, Horta de Sant Joan Festival in honour of Sant Salvador
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| Sant Antoni Suction, Horta de Sant Joan Traditional auction, where money raised is used to pay for work on Sant Salvador Convent
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| Fast Painting Competition, Horta de Sant Joan This is an activity to make art more popular and show the cultural heritage of Horta de Sant Joan
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| "Giants" Gathering, Horta de Sant Joan Gathering and performance by "Giants" and Chirimia players
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| BIRDWATCHING ITINERARY Horta de Sant Joan - Les Gronses - Coll de Miralles Starting point: the village of Horta de Sant Joan Length: 4 - 5 hours.
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| Esgambi. Tourist services Activities in nature
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| Montsport Activities in nature
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| Agrària Sant Salvador d'Horta, SCCL Local shop | |
| Can Subirats Local shop | |
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