The Casa Batllo Story begins in the time of myth and legend. With Casa Batllo, Gaudi wanted to design a building that channelled the legend of Saint Jordi (Saint George in English), patron saint of Catalonia. Saint Jordi is best known for slaying a monstrous dragon that was terrorising the then-village of Catalonia. Striking the fatal blow with a lance shaped like a cross, Saint Jordi saved the village.
Gaudi's interpretation of Saint Jordi's courageous act, Casa Batllo has a roof shaped like a dragon's back. Multi-coloured tiles that look like shiny scales cover the huge, curved roof. There's also a tower on one side of Casa Batllo that's topped with a cross. Viewing the building from just the right angle, you can see Saint Jordi's lance piercing the dragon's side.
Casa Batllo was created for textile industrialist Joseph Batllo who kept the brief simple. Batllo wanted a house style that none of his other family members would have. Gaudi set to work and between 1904 and 1906 he completely remodelled an existing building, more than delivering on Batllo's brief.