Casal Daurella

Casal Daurella is a historic villa in Cardedeu, a small town in the Vallès Oriental region roughly 30 km north of Barcelona. The building now houses a local history museum and cultural centre, but its present shape and name both trace back to the family who owned it for most of the 20th century.

Where did this house come from?

The building went up in 1848, one of the first summer residences built in Cardedeu at a time when the town was a favoured retreat for wealthy Barcelona families escaping the city's summer heat. Its first owners were the Arenas Riera family, though no surviving records identify who designed it. The neoclassical façade, with a ground floor and two upper storeys, has survived largely intact and remains the most recognisable feature of the building today.

Why is it called Daurella?

In 1907 the property was bought by Josep Daurella i Rull, a Barcelona-born doctor of philosophy and law who taught logic at the University of Barcelona. His surname is the source of the building's current name. The Daurella family held the house for decades, until in 1973 Josep's son, Santiago Daurella de Rull, donated it to the town council of Cardedeu along with one million pesetas earmarked for renovation. The condition attached to the gift was explicit: the building had to serve cultural purposes, and the Daurella name had to stay attached to it permanently.

What's inside today?

After renovation, Casal Daurella reopened in 1975 as the home of the Tomàs Balvey Museum-Archive and the Dr. Daurella Cultural Centre. It now functions as one of the town's main cultural institutions, holding exhibits on Cardedeu's local history, archival collections, and event space used for courses, workshops and community activities, including pottery and painting classes. The 19th-century structure itself provides the backdrop for all of this and is listed as a local cultural asset.

How do you get there, and when should you visit?

Casal Daurella sits in the centre of Cardedeu, best reached by the Rodalies regional train from Barcelona (R2 line) — the ride takes around 40 minutes, and the station is a short walk from the building. Since it's a working museum and cultural venue rather than an always-open attraction, it's worth checking current exhibition hours and the events calendar before planning a visit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Casal Daurella a museum? Yes, the building houses the Tomàs Balvey Museum-Archive and doubles as the Dr. Daurella Cultural Centre, combining historical exhibits with ongoing cultural programming.

Who built the villa, and when? It was built in 1848 as a summer residence for the Arenas Riera family; the architect is unknown.

Where does the name Daurella come from? From the Daurella family, who bought the property in 1907 and donated it to the Cardedeu town council in 1973 on condition that the name be kept and the building used for cultural purposes.

How do you get to Cardedeu from Barcelona? The easiest way is the R2 Rodalies train — the journey takes about 40 minutes, and the station is close to both the town centre and the building itself.