Surreal World: Salvador Dalí’s Costa Brava

Lewis Evans

The master of surrealism, Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, Spain, in 1904, giving his first exhibition in the town at the age of 14. One of the most important figures of the surrealist literary and artistic movement birthed by Frenchman André Breton, Dalí received his first taste of fame in Luis Buñuel’s films Un Chien Andalou and L’âge D’or.

He fled to America during Francisco Franco’s regime and lived there from 1940 to 1948. He gained international celebrity in the United States, collaborating with famed Americans such as Walt Disney. Upon returning to Spain in the 1970s, he became a supporter of Franco, a fact that soured his relationships with the other surrealists.

Dalí spent the final years of his life in Figueres, mourning the loss of his wife, Gala, and suffering from psychological disorders. It is believed that in his later, less lucid years he was manipulated into signing blank canvases. When Dalí died in 1989, he was buried beneath the Teatre-Museu in Figueres.

The Alt Empordà

The Alt (Upper) Empordà and the Baix (Lower) Empordà are geographically and politically distinct regions separated by the Ter River, which flows out to the Mediterranean. The Alt Empordà is known for its landscape of rolling hills and thick pine forests, dotted with fortified farmhouses. The area is home to a total of 68 municipalities with just over 100,000 inhabitants. Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí was from the town of Figueres in the Alt Empordà.
Figueres

Figueres is the capital of the Alt Empordà, and an important centre of commerce and tourism, known primarily for its Dalí Museum (Teatre-Museu Dalí). It is a pleasant little town that boasts a lively rambla (boulevard), a variety of cafés and restaurants, and the imposing Castell de Sant Fernand—a huge 17thC castle, where the Republicans headquartered during part of the Spanish Civil War.