Vil·la Anita

Vil·la Anita, in the coastal town of El Masnou, is a historicist mansion perched on a small hill above the Catalan shoreline near Barcelona. Also known locally as La Torreta and Cal Sastret, the house has kept its distinctive silhouette on the town's skyline for more than a century.

What is this place?

The mansion took its present form during a remodeling carried out between 1903 and 1905, in the historicist style fashionable across Catalonia at the turn of the 20th century. It stands as a freestanding, square-plan building with symmetrical annexes at each corner, comprising a ground floor, an upper floor and a partial semi-basement. A small tower with a well rises from the northeast corner.

The central volume is topped by a four-sided roof covered in polychrome tiles, one of the building's most recognizable features. The main façade is strictly symmetrical, with a centered doorway flanked by two windows, all framed by semicircular arches and fitted with wooden shutters. Decorative reliefs with architectural motifs, pilasters separating the openings, corners finished to imitate cut stone, and a balustrade crowning the roofline complete the composition.

Gardens and terraces supported by retaining walls surround the house, reinforcing its hilltop position with sea views. Vil·la Anita is protected as a local cultural asset (BCIL, under the 1992 urban plan and Catalonia's 9/93 heritage law) and is listed in the regional heritage inventory under reference IPA 8598. The building is well preserved, still used as a private residence, and remains privately owned.

How do you get there?

The house stands at Camí del Mig 8 in El Masnou, a town in the Maresme region roughly 20 km northeast of Barcelona. Regional trains run frequently from central Barcelona along the Maresme coastal line, with the journey typically taking under half an hour. From the station it is a short uphill walk into town toward the rise where the mansion sits. Driving is equally straightforward thanks to the coastal motorway that runs alongside El Masnou.

What will you see on site?

Since Vil·la Anita is privately owned, visits are limited to viewing the exterior. The façade rewards a closer look: the symmetrical window arrangement, the sculpted reliefs, and the balustrade are all worth studying, as are the surrounding gardens and terraces that open onto sea views. The house makes a rewarding stop for anyone interested in early 20th-century historicist architecture and in El Masnou's wider heritage of grand houses built by wealthy residents of the period.

When should you visit?

Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable conditions for exploring El Masnou's hilly streets on foot, and the softer light at these times brings out the façade's detail well. Summer draws beach crowds to the town's promenade, making the seafront busier, but Vil·la Anita sits away from the main strip and remains a quiet viewpoint throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Vil·la Anita? No. The building is a private residence and is not open to the public for interior visits — it can only be admired from the outside.

Where do the other names for the house come from? The mansion is also known as La Torreta, a reference to its corner tower, and as Cal Sastret, a name likely tied to a former owner or local naming custom.

What architectural style does the house represent? It is an example of early 20th-century historicism, pairing symmetrical composition with the ornate decorative detail typical of grand houses built along the Catalan coast at the time.

Is the building legally protected? Yes. Vil·la Anita is listed as a local cultural asset (BCIL) in the town's urban plan and appears in Catalonia's heritage inventory under reference IPA 8598.