In 1878, soon after graduating from the Provincial School of Barcelona as an architect, Gaudi was commissioned by the mayor of Barcelona to create lampposts -- or candelabras as they were called then -- for the central public square called Placa Reial. Gaudi was inspired by the Mediterranean climate of Barcelona and the abundant available time people spent in the city's streets. Gaudi designed two models for the Placa, one with three arms and another with six. Like most of Gaudi's historical monuments, the lampposts in Placa Reial are still standing today.
The lampposts were attached to a multi-sided pedestal of polished Santa Cruz marble. The lower parts of the lampposts were manufactured out of forged iron. The arms that hold the lights were formed from bronze, while the lights were encased in glass. The upper sections of the lampposts were made of opal so that the light would be reflected to the ground. Gaudi felt this combination of materials would give an impressive appearance, especially at night. The lampposts were covered with a waterproof varnish to protect them from the elements.
In 1910, Gaudi suffered from depression and was invited by his friend, Father Torras Bages, to spend some restful time in the town of Vic, which is about 60 km from Barcelona. Gaudi failed to relax completely when he accepted a request for a lamppost design to commemorate the centennial of the birth of Catalan philosopher Jaume Balmes. The lampposts were inaugurated in September 1910 but they were torn down in 1924, so the evidence of Gaudi's work in Vic is no longer available to the public.
By 1910, Gaudi had gained experience working with many different materials, and he used some in the Vic lampposts. The lampposts were carved from basalt, a volcanic fine-grained rock that is usually found on land formerly underwater. The Vic lampposts had two arms, which were made from forged iron. At the top of the lampposts was placed what had come to be known as a "Gaudinian" cross. Each cross had four arms and was also forged from iron.
