The birth of modernism in Lloret de Mar
As you can imagine, modernism as a style was born in Barcelona, and from there it spread to other towns; so the bourgeoisie of the area tried to continue that style in the most viable way.
The city of Lloret de Mar is located in the centre of the Costa Brava; so like any other coastal city its population lived basically from the sea; however, a lot of this population decided in the 19th century to go to the 'Indies' (to make money); when they returned, already richer, they were called 'Indianos'; so the 'Indianos' in some way occupied the concept of the bourgeoisie; this group had the same desire to contribute to the modernist style and to be known as 'rich'; and with all these facts, modernism began in the city.
For this reason, the mark of the 'Indianos' was left in the modernist style of Lloret de Mar and its surroundings; for example, we can mention the modernist cemetery designed by the well-known architect Puig i Cadafalch; and it is without a doubt an architectural ensemble of unquestionable interest; on the other hand, the cemetery broadens the perspective of what funerary art was like at that time.
We also find the church of San Román, a Gothic style church with great modernist influences; in fact, its architect was Bonaventura Conill i Montobbio, a well-known modernist architect. The entire religious complex has details that constantly refer to the modernism of the time.
Visit modernism in Lloret de Mar
Luckily, Lloret de Mar offers guided tours within the city; this way you can discover the cultural heritage hidden in the historic centre of Lloret de Mar. Guided tours of the historic centre of Lloret de Mar are offered in Catalan and Spanish; the price of the visits is €2 per person, which only includes the exterior visit to the heritage elements; in fact, many of the places charge extra for visits on your own; on the other hand, children under 12 are free, as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
All guided tours have a route already marked from the start; you can also book your guided tour at any of the three tourist offices in Lloret de Mar.
As we said, it should be noted that at the beginning of the 20th century there were many Indians who had made a fortune; after all, they wanted to show their fortune in their new houses in Lloret; modernism was already a real architectural style; for this reason all the new constructions had positive influences of this recent style. In addition to being able to show their wealth in the houses where they lived, they wanted to go further; for this reason the cemetery that we have previously mentioned was born; the architectural investment in the modernist cemetery of Lloret de Mar will allow them to show their economic well-being once they die.
In short, the Lloret de Mar cemetery can be considered one of the most significant examples of Catalan funerary art from the modernist period.