Can Framis

Can Framis is a Catalan Modernisme townhouse on carrer de Sant Felip 61 in El Masnou, a seaside town in the Maresme region roughly twenty kilometres north of Barcelona. It was built in 1902 to a design by architect Enric Fatjó Torras, commissioned by local businessman Salvador Millet, known locally by the nickname "Patena." The house remains privately owned today, but its facade — protected under Catalonia's local heritage register — is one of the more striking examples of turn-of-the-century architecture in El Masnou.

How do you get there?

Can Framis sits in the heart of El Masnou, a short walk from the Rodalies train station on the R1 line, which connects the town to Barcelona in about 25 minutes. From the station, head toward the old town centre and onto carrer de Sant Felip, a street lined mostly with houses from the same era. The location pairs easily with a stroll along the seafront and the nearby marina, both under fifteen minutes on foot.

What will you see?

The building has a rectangular floor plan with a ground floor and two upper storeys under a projecting eave covered in Arabic roof tiles. The facade borrows from Renaissance forms, visible in the carved lintels above the first-floor windows and in the open gallery-solarium on the top floor. The main entrance sits inside a large pointed arch flanked by latticed side openings, while a continuous balcony with a wrought-iron railing runs above street level.

Look closely for the details: blue-and-white tilework along the base of the building, vegetal motifs carved into the balcony lintels, and a central coat of arms bearing the initials "S.M." — for Salvador Millet, the man who commissioned the house. The rendered facade is worked to imitate a brick pattern, a common decorative trick in Catalan Modernisme buildings of the period.

The name "Can Framis" doesn't come from the original owner at all. In 1920 the property passed by inheritance to Millet's daughter, Àngels Millet Maristany, and later to the Framis family through marriage — and their name is the one that stuck. Naming a house after the family most associated with it, rather than the one that built it, is a common pattern across Catalonia.

When should you visit?

Since Can Framis is a private residence, it's a building you view from the street rather than enter. Morning and early-afternoon light works best for photographing the facade. El Masnou itself is at its most pleasant in spring and early autumn, when temperatures are mild and the seafront promenade and marina are quieter than during the peak summer months. A stop at Can Framis fits naturally into a walk through the old town on the way to the beach or harbour.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Can Framis? No — it's a privately owned residential building, and only the exterior can be visited.

Who designed the building? Architect Enric Fatjó Torras, commissioned by Salvador Millet; construction was completed in 1902.

Why is it called Can Framis if Millet built it? Because the property passed to Millet's daughter in 1920 and later, through marriage, to the Framis family, whose name remained attached to the house.

How do you reach El Masnou from Barcelona? The easiest way is the Rodalies R1 train line, a roughly 25-minute ride, with the station a short walk from the old town and carrer de Sant Felip.