In his younger years, Gaudí was a true dandy with sky-blue eyes. He dressed in expensive suits, wore kid gloves and silk-woven top hats, had a collection of scarves, and often went to theaters and operas. And when he got his first bout of scholarship money, he bought a golden watch to tell people it was a family heirloom, in order to become part of high society in Barcelona.
However, Gaudí had trouble with shoes. He couldn’t wear new boots and asked his brother to stretch them out for him, but after his brother died, he asked his students to stretch his shoes using hammers.
The architect was energetic and kind, even though he tried to hide behind this powerful façade. After he got rejected a couple of times by his crushes, he dedicated all his energy to architecture.
In 1883, Gaudí’s first big project began, which is known as Casa Vicens. The architect literally lived on the construction site and controlled the process, making the workers rebuild the parts he didn’t like. All the rooms were to be completely deconstructed.

20+ Facts About the Genius Modernist, Antoni Gaudí, Who Disliked Straight Lines All His Life