Dali Theatre-Museum: Figueres, Spain

The Dali Theatre Museu in Figueres, Spain.  Figueres was Dali's birth city.

The theatre houses his works from 1904-1989. It was built in 1974.

The museum was created by Dali himself. The entire museum was conceived and designed by Dali, each room is a constellation in itself. The Museum is big--five floors with seemingly unending little nooks and crannies to explore.

 It was terribly crowded with tourists--we'd been warned. It seems the museum is never quiet so one must put up with wall to wall people if one wants to experience it. I'm sure Dali would approve of the crowds as he designed this museum to remember his artistic vision for all time--an attempt to become immortal. But the crowds made me crazy. Peter and I were dying to escape by the end of our viewing.

My impression is that yes, I love Dali, simply because he was a true artist: always creating, trying his hand at so many ways to express himself. His art itself, is sometimes uninspiring to me: mainly his taxidermic animal parts, his suffocating installations of 'stuff' and the jewelry (it was lovely but I am not a jewelry lover). However, at other times, his art, especially his paintings, inspire me greatly.

Dali was full of self celebration and self expression--I love him!
Dali Museum is a little bit of a "Dali's-do-it-himself" Disneyland.

Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment (installation) 1974.
This installation was to be viewed from up a series of stairs and then through a glass lens that enabled the viewer to see a woman's head and face. The line was soooooo long to climb the stairs that I said, " F-it" and was satisfied with viewing the installation without the lens trickery.

Peter having just arrived in Figueres, Spain. It was a very hot morning and we had just terrified an old lady by trying for ask directions. Peter's "Perdon?" sent her darting away.

The exterior of the Museum. I like to refer to myself as Hulga in this pic--Hulga looks ready to charge the museum--watch out Dali, here she comes!

An exterior installation by Dali.

The museum's outdoor courtyard.

The interior courtyard.

A Dali installation.

A portrait of his wife Gala: Galarina, 1944-45

Atomic Leda, 1949

View from inside courtyard looking onto outside courtyard.

Dali's tomb. Dali sometimes referred to himself in third person and had said, "Dali is immortal."

A peep hole in the wall revealed this green world inside. 

A Dali installation.

My personal favourite: Palace of the Wind ceiling 1972-73

Me, moving down a Dali hallway.

Peter, overlooking the interior courtyard and becoming rather Dali'ed out!

Salvador Dali and Gala's Castle

Pubol Castle--The Gala Dali Castle House Museum:

Salvador Dali fell in love with the Russian wife of poet Paul Eluard while they all resided on the Costa Brava at Cadaques as guests of Dali. Dali and Gala ran off to Paris together and eventually married in the 30's (civil) and again (Catholic) 1958.

 Gala had one daughter with Paul.
 Dali had always promised Gala that one day he would buy a castle for her. His promise came true in the 1970's he bought the medieval Publo Castle in Pubol, Spain near Girona. 

Gala lived in this castle the rest of her life while Dali lived on the coast at Cadaques (he was raised there in his boyhood).  They kept in contact daily through phone calls. However, it was agreed upon, by the painter and Gala, that Dali could not visit the castle without prior written request and permission from Gala.  Gala was well known for having a strong sexual appetite and it is said that even up until her final years of life (88) she would arrange for young village men to come up to her castle regularly. 

There is no doubt though, that Dali adored her. Gala was the subject of many of his paintings, and after her death he drove her for one last time around the Pubol area in her Cadillac. 

He built her a throne in her castle and after Gala's death, Dali moved into the castle himself and would sit in the throne to greet guests. The area around Pubol castle is beautiful Northern Spain--sunshine and dry fields. It is rural and very quiet. 

Gala died in 1982 and Dali in 1989. She is entombed in the basement of the castle and Dali in Figueres in the basement of his own creation: The Dali Theatre-Museum.


My impression of the castle was that it would be great to live in such a place if one were a child with lots of siblings to hang out with. But as Gala lived in the castle (for the most part) as a single woman, I can understand why she only spent summers there. It is super quiet and civilization is quite far away. The winters might be rather boring---hence the young village men ;)

Peter and the Dali Castle church.

A farm across the field from Dali Castle.

Gala's throne--built by Dali. After her death, Dali would sit on it to greet guests.

Gala's kitchen.

The dining room with the egg shaped fire place. Dali loved the egg shape.

The living room. The coffee table, by Dali, is glassed topped and reveals the floor below and a taxidermic horse standing in the room.

Gala's bath. Note the lovely patterns on the tiles--Catalan is famous for their ceramics.

A view of the teeny-tiny little township surrounding the castle.

Gala's tomb in the basement of the castle. Picture quality is poor as there was almost no light and no flash allowed.

Peter in Gala's garden--the sculpture is by Dali.

Peter outside of Dali Castle.

The sunflower field below the castle.

The castle terrace overlooking the sunflowers.

The castle front entrance.

The tile house sign on the Gala's castle. All homes in Spain have a tile sign announcing the residents.

In the church yard beside the castle.