The Triangle Dalinià, following the genius footsteps using the electric car

Figueres: the surreal object of the world

The starting point of the route could not be other than the city of Figueres, the place where Salvador Dalí was born and died. The capital of Alt Empordà is located in the center of the Empordà plain, in the northeastern corner of Catalonia. Figueres has an area of 19.3 kilometers and a population of 47,088 inhabitants (2022).

Our Dalí route starts at the Dalí Figueres Theatre-Museum. The space, inaugurated in 1974, forms part of the Empordà Dalinian Triangle together with the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol and the Salvador Dalí House-Museum in Portlligat, all of which are managed by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation.

The Dalí Theater-Museum in Figueres was built on the ruins of the old municipal theater of the city, destroyed during the Civil War, and is located at Plaza Gala y Salvador Dalí, number 5. The reason for its location has three important points according to Dali. First, because the artist was an eminently theatrical painter, second, because the theater was opposite the church where he was baptized, and third, because it was in the foyer of that theater where Dalí exhibited his first painting.

Thus, it was Salvador Dalí himself who invented, created and designed the space with the aim of showing the works that make up his artistic career, from his first experiences to the surrealist creations of the last years of his life.

The surreal object of the world. And just by seeing it from the outside it is clear that the experience will be enchanting. The glass dome in the center of the museum is a symbol of identity for the capital of Alt Empordà.

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation offers us a free or guided visit to the Dalí Theater-Museum in Figueres and also to the Dalí-Jewelry space, a display of the collection of gold and precious stone jewelery that the artist designed between 1941 and 1970., accompanied by more than twenty drawings and paintings of his designs.

Inside the building, which is made up of 22 rooms and a central courtyard decorated with Dalí elements, we can find an artistic journey from the painter's beginnings, with works such as La Venus que sonríe or Port Alguer, in the explosion of surrealism with works emblematic such as the Specter of sex appeal, Atomic Leda, The Bread Basket or Galatea of the Spheres.

It is also worth noting a set of works that Dalí created designed for his Museum, such as the Mae West room, the Palau del Vent room, the rainy Cadillac or the painting Gala nude looking at the sea that shows the figure of President Lincoln at 18 meters.

Finally, the museum also exhibits works by other important artists such as Antoni Pitxot or Evarist Vallès, along with Dalí's private collection that includes pieces by El Greco, Fortuny, Urgell, Meissonier, Duchamp, Dou and Bourguereau.

The House of Portlligat: a work of art framed in the landscape

Steeped in history, art and Dalí's work, our route continues along the N-260 and GI-614 highway towards Cadaqués, to arrive after approximately 50 minutes of travel at the second leg of the Dalí triangle: the Salvador Dalí House-Museum of Portlligat.

Portlligat is a population center in the municipality of Cadaqués ( Alt Empordà ), located on the coast of Cap de Creus. The beauty of its old town forms a historical complex protected as a cultural asset of national interest. Cadaqués has an area of 26.4 kilometers and a population of 2,889 (2022) inhabitants.

In the center of Portlligat, the areas of the bay and the island stand out for their natural beauty, a maritime paradise that inspired Dalí and that appear in some of his works, such as La madonna de Portlligat, Crucifixió or L'últim sopar.

The Salvador Dalí House-Museum in Portlligat has been visitable since 1997 and was created from the union of different fishermen's houses that Gala and Dalí were joining together over 40 years. Each room in the house has shapes, sizes and proportions that frame it with the landscape.

In his constant coming and going, this was the only fixed residence that Salvador Dalí had. He lived and worked there until 1982, when his wife Gala died and he moved to the Púbol castle, the last point of the Dalinian Triangle.

In the house, which is a labyrinth filled with objects and memories of the couple, we can discover the painter's workshop, his room, the garden and the pool, the oval room or a terrace overlooking the bay of Portlligat, among others.

The route begins in the Rebedor del Oso and is divided into three areas. The most intimate part of the artist's life was located on the ground floor. The Studio is where part of their work was developed and houses numerous objects related to artistic activity, and, finally, the outdoor spaces, with garden paths where Dalí and Gala lived a more public life.

Púbol Castle: the jewel of Gala Dalí

The Dalinian Triangle forms an imaginary geometric figure on a map of Catalonia that links Figueres, Portlligat and Púbol. The last essential stop to understand the work and life of Salvador Dalí is the Castell de Púbol.

From the Portlligat house in the municipality of La Pera there are 61 kilometers along the GI-614 road towards Bisbal del Empordà. After just over an hour of travel, we arrived in the small town of Baix Empordà. La Pera is a municipality with an area of 11.5 kilometers and a population of 438 inhabitants (2022).

But the town of La Pera is better known for Púbol, a population entity in the lower Empordà municipality that has just over 150 inhabitants. From there you can see from every corner the immensity of Púbol Castle, a Gothic-Renaissance fortification that has its origins in the 11th century.

Salvador Dalí bought the castle from his wife, Gala, in 1969. There the muse could rest from the constant parties and meetings that the artist organized in Portlligat.

The site was owned by Gala Dalí until her death in 1982. Gala did not allow anyone to enter without invitation, even the genius was prohibited from entering.

Immensely hurt by the loss of his muse, Salvador Dalí moved there and established his residence and place of work.

The castle has a double interest, on the one hand, architectural, with a notable synthesis of Gothic and Renaissance elements, and on the other, artistic and historical, with the magical touch of Salvador Dalí.

It was he himself who coordinated the restoration of the building and personalized its interior, with spectacular decoration that turns the castle into a small surreal work of art. Visitors will be able to find pieces such as the sculptures of striding elephants in the garden, the Wagner busts that decorate the pool and the Gala mausoleum.

The Castle of Púbol lived a large part of the private life of the artist and his wife, for this reason, it is a significant place for Dalí's work.

This visit, then, closes the Dalinian Triangle, an essential route through the Empordà that leads us to explore the world of an irreverent genius who left an indelible mark on the Empordà, in Catalonia and throughout the world.

All spaces are managed by the Gala-Salvador Dalí foundation, a prior reservation must be made. All information can be found at https://www.salvador-dali.org.

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