At the end of the 19th century Caldetes was chosen by the most renowned families in Barcelona for their summer holidays.
Claudi López Bru, the second Marquis of Comillas and Spanish Grandee, decided to move to the town to cure himself of his condition in the thermal baths, due to its proximity to Barcelona city. In 1883 he had a house built, designed by the architect J. Oriol Mestres – father of Apel·les Mestres – which was unfortunately demolished in the 1980s to make way for a street and a block of flats.
The Marquises of Comillas’ family chaplain was the illustrious Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, who coincidentally suffered from the same condition as the Marquis. Verdaguer thus became an assiduous visitor to the town. Good proof of this is Lo gafarró (The Serin) or the poem Vora la mar (By the Sea), written in Caldes on 10 January 1883.
Another unique building is the home of Josep Maria Nadal i Vilardaga (Barcelona, 1845 - 1908), a Catalan landowner and politician who was mayor of Barcelona in 1896. His son, Joaquim Maria Nadal i Ferrer, was secretary of Francesc Cambó and official chronicler of Barcelona. Among other works, he wrote Un tros de Barcelona: Caldetas 1800 (A Piece of Barcelona: Caldetes 1800), where he describes in detail the summer life of Caldetes at the start of the 20th century.
The house was renovated in 1891 following a plan by the architect Jeroni Martorell. It is a detached house with a ground floor and two floors with Arab influence, surrounded by a large garden. Its openings are decorated with Neo-Moorish-style tiles and motifs, the most prominent decorative element of the façade. The roof is comprised of two detached square elements and a rooftop terrace with stone verandas.
During the Civil War (1936-1939), the house was used as the headquarters of the Committee of the Republic.
It still belongs to the Nadal family.
1. Santema and the Palau Foundation Street
4. Parròquia de Santa Maria (Parish of St. Mary)
6. The Old Town Centre and the Lime Kiln
7. Capella del Carme and Carrer d´El Callao Street
11. Hotel Colón and the Sea Baths
13. Can Comillas and Can Nadal
