In old Barcelona, among the architectural jewels that keep the patina of the nobility, some manor houses, obeying the needs and the taste of modern life, take on the physiognomy of newer palaces, within the lines of ancient nobility. One of them is the old Mornau house on Ample Street, owned by the heir Nadal, a descendant of the old founding family who counted among his own the wise archbishop Dr. Félix de Amat de Palou de Savall i de Montbui, who worked for the King Carlos IV. The beautiful palace that today displays its white walls and golden balconies in the darkness of Ample Street, has been preserved by his heirs in all the purity of its lines and its vaults. It was restored on the occasion of the wedding of the Mornau heir to the beautiful daughter of the baron of Quadras; a rejuvenated marquis for the beautiful María de Cuadras who, on two other occasions, first as a maiden in her parents' palace, then as a bride, and now surrounded by a new beauty, with the noble crown of motherhood, has come to honour the pages of FEMINAL. The photographs that we bring today reflect one of his most important spells: colour. And you have to see the beautiful white and gold and Louis XV salons; the old chamber of pure style, with beautiful scenes of Creation painted on the walls, where Archbishop Amat died, religiously preserved by the descendants of the illustrious son of Catalonia; the old portraits, the precious tapestries, the art jewels that are everywhere, the library, in which, in addition to 5,000 volumes, the collections of the Diario de Barcelona have been religiously preserved since its first issue; modern luxury in all its refinement in the private rooms, sober, elegant, stately, well worthy of the young couple who have made their nest between those ancient walls, where today the grace of a little heir honours it. And you have to look closely at the showcases, which keep a treasure of ancient jewels, among those that were the property of the archbishop, and they are truly remarkable. In the chamber where Doctor Amat gave his soul to God, the Mornau, Artós and Nadal families, descendants of the illustrious man from Sabadell, piously conserve, in addition to the furniture and wall paintings (among which a very beautiful Saint Anthony must be highlighted), a Crucifix of great artistic and historical merit, as it was given as a gift by King Carlos IV to his confessor. The oratory; the beautiful central courtyard, the hall decorated with family portraits and remarkable furniture and tapestries, are worth mentioning. And, finally, we must justly praise the restoration works, entrusted to true artists, whom we can well call the young architect D. Manuel Raspall, to whom the delicate work was entrusted. The little space that we have prevents us from detailing better what this Barcelona interior is that embellishes our pages today, and we are really sorry, since there is very interesting material in all concepts.

Sobre l'obra de l’arquitecte modernista Manuel Raspall (1877-1937) vàrem reproduir tota la complexitat formal i estilística que tenia l’edifici al llarg dels seus mes de 200 anys d’existència. Excepte unes dependències interiors sense valor i malmeses per les humitats, la resta d’espais foren rehabilitats segons les restes trobades al propi edifici, motllures, esgrafiats, especejaments, etc., fetes amb la col·laboració inestimable i valuosa d’Arturo Van den Eynde, arquitecte (1946-2003), del constructor i dels artesans qualificats contractats. Vàrem proposar una distribució de mobiliari expositor centralitzat que no contactava amb els murs existents de cara fer visible la seva riquesa formal i ens permetia que també fossin làmpades, alhora que ens permetia posar els conductes d’aire amagats al seu interior.