Pau Casals and the Costa Daurada

Have you ever delved into the creative universe of an artistic genius? Now is your chance! The cellist Pau Casals (1876-1973) was born in El Vendrell, built his home on the Sant Salvador seafront and lived on the Costa Daurada until he had to go into exile. It is now the seat of the Foundation that bears his name and a museum where you can see the fantastic career of this magnificent conductor. Casals never stopped defending peace and the freedom of peoples, and the Foundation reflects this, working to keep his vast musical and humanistic legacy alive.

In El Vendrell you can also visit the Casa Nadiua de Casals (Casals's birthplace), which preserves the atmosphere of a humble family at the end of the 19th century. Pau Casals is one of the most universal figures of Catalan culture, with a considerable humanistic dimension. Through visits to the Vil·la Museu, the Foundation and the Casa Nadiua you can enter his universe and the places where he grew up and was formed.

These spaces dedicated to remembering and promoting the figure of the cellist are part of the El Paisatge dels Genis itinerary, a proposal that lets you explore the surroundings that inspired the works of Antoni Gaudí, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Pau Casals, neighbours from the same parts, namely Reus, Mont-roig del Camp, El Vendrell and Horta de Sant Joan, the latter in the Terres de l'Ebre. Each of the municipalities offers visitors guided itineraries that let you take a leap in time into the era in which they lived and the inspiring surroundings that nourished them.

Visiting the Baix Penedès is also a good chance to enjoy one of the concert series at the Auditori Pau Casals, which has a regular programme all year round. If you decide to visit in summer, bear in mind an unmissable date, the Pau Casals International Music Festival, held in mid-July, which offers an unrivalled sensory journey.

And beyond the great figures who were born and raised on the Costa Daurada, near El Vendrell you can also visit other museums to round off your stay. The Fundació Apel·les Fenosa, for example, brings together original terracotta and plaster sculptures and a selection of the artist's monumental bronzes. The Foundation is housed in what was his summer residence and creative studio, where exhibitions and events linked to the sculptor and his contemporaries are also held. The Foundation has started residencies with top-level artists to give it a contemporary perspective.

The Museu Deu also hosts an interesting exhibition. It is the private art collection that the notary Antoni Deu gathered during his lifetime, with more than 2,800 works including carvings, carpets, chamber pots, sculptures, paintings, goldsmithing, glass and ivory.

All in all, a nest of knowledge and culture that you can soak up on all sides by visiting the Costa Daurada!