Side Trips from Girona
If you’re planning to visit Salvador Dalí’s house museum near Cadaqués, or his theater museum in Figueres, you might be tempted to give this lesser-known Dalí destination a miss. That would be a pity. The Castell Gala-Dalí Púbol, Plaza Gala Dalí s/n (tel. 97-248-86-55), is a satisfying blend of historic home and Dalí’s wild-eyed conceptual art, set in the magnificent medieval village of Púbol a 30-minute drive from Girona.
It is primarily a study in Dalí’s deeply strange relationship with his wife and muse, Gala. In 1968, the couple stumbled upon the ruins of this 11th-century castle and Dalí promptly bought it as a gift for Gala. Although she insisted she would restore it, it fell to Dalí to reform and decorate its rooms and gardens, while leaving the exterior looking just as they had found it—a nod to the passage of time. The castle became Gala’s refuge, and he agreed not to visit unless she invited him—in writing. Thrilled by this idea of courtly love, Dalí threw his imagination into the project. There are many highlights, including Gala’s throne room; her bathroom, beautifully converted from an old kitchen; and a wooden radiator cover decorated with a trompe l’oeil painting—of a radiator. Sculptures of long-legged elephants roam the Italianate gardens and an arch by the swimming pool is adorned with 34 heads of the composer Richard Wagner. Gala died in 1982 aged 87—her tomb lies in the crypt, next to a giraffe—and Dalí used the castle as a studio before being burned in a bedroom fire in 1984. He never returned and is buried at the Teatre-Museu Dalí in Figueres, where his gravestone styles him the Marquis of Púbol.
Booking online in advance is recommended. Admission in summer is 12€ adults, 8€ students and seniors, free for children 8 and under, and 10€ adults and 7€ students and seniors the rest of the year. It’s open daily 10:30am to 6:30pm in summer, with an eccentric schedule the rest of the year, generally closing on Mondays. Check website for details.
Afterwards, wander the enclosed medieval streets of Púbol. There are a couple of pleasant places for a drink or lunch, and don’t miss the Catarina Roma ceramics gallery on Ca l’Almar (tel. 97-202-01-39), whose plates and bowls made from foraged wild clay are the crockery of choice of some of Spain’s leading chefs.
