Salvador Dalí created a refuge for his wife, and a sensory allegory of their psyches and relationship: in the medieval castle and garden of Gala Dalí.
Thirty-three years ago this month, a flashy Cadillac sped toward a castle in the tiny village of Púbol in Catalunya. A dead woman rode upright in the back seat. With a nurse at her side, 87-year-old Gala Dalí was escaping from the world one last time. Today, there is more than a glimpse of her unusual relationship with her husband and their bizarre psyches in the castle and garden of Gala Dalí.
This post contains affiliate links and/or references to our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on or make a purchase using these links.
In the castle and garden of Gala Dalí, the surreal lives on as allegory to the nature of the couple’s life together and their individual personalities.
A fantastical elephant sculpture in the garden of Gala Dalí
Salvador Dalí, by all accounts, was besotted with his future wife from the moment they met. Ten years younger than she, he celebrated her as his muse and believed she cured his youthful madness. It wasn’t the first time, nor the last, Gala would have similar effect. Click here if you can’t see the video montage of works that she inspired in Dalí, below.
Born in Kazan, Russia in 1894, the teenaged Gala was tubercular. She met her first husband, French poet Paul Éluard, when both were patients at a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland. Married in 1918, their daughter, Cecile, was born that same year.
Concurrently at the turn of the 20th century, the European avant-garde began an art movement in Zurich called Dada. Dadaism quickly spread to Berlin and other capitals. It rejected conventional artistic constraints in favor of cubism, collage, and abstract writing. Dadaists even questioned whether words required their traditional meanings. Éluard, disillusioned by World War I military service, found consolation in these new approaches.
Photo Credit: theartdept.wikispaces.com
Between wars, European intellectuals and artists further rejected bourgeois society. They blamed capitalism – its “reason” and “logic” – for global conflict. In response, they embraced an irrational chaos that was reflected in later movements. The most notable of these was Surrealism, centered in Paris.
Many Surrealists were polymathic, utilizing visual arts, literature, film, and music. Surrealists addressed political ideology and practice, philosophy, and social theory. Decades later, Dalí, an obvious polymath yet a fabulist as well, would frustrate an American television panel appearing on “What’s My Line.” After he claimed accomplishments as an artist, writer, humorist, and athlete, panelist Arlene Francis famously exclaimed, “Is there anything you don’t do?”
“A Friends’ Reunion” by Max Ernst. Seated L to R: Rene Crevel, Max Ernst, Dostoyevsky, Theodore Fraenkel, Jean Paulhan, Benjamin Peret, Johannes T. Baargeld, Robert Desnos. Standing: Philippe Soupault, Jean Arp, Max Morise, Raphael, Paul Eluard, Louis Aragon, Andre Breton, Giorgio de Chirico, Gala Eluard. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The Surrealistic milieu in Paris during the 1920’s was made for Gala. Salons and cafes were filled with all sorts of bohemians. Their controversial behavior and unconventional lives were far outside of traditional boundaries. Gala began cultivating a presence, using elegant dress and conceit to convey self-importance.
Gala and Paul Èluard, 1927. Photo Credit: https://revistay.com/cartas-a-gala/
“Gala knew what she wanted, the pleasures of the heart and the senses, and the companionship of genius.” – Andre Thirion, Surrealist writer and activist.
Paying little attention to daughter Cecile (they would remain estranged for life with Gala attempting at one point to disinherit her), Gala began taking on lovers. One of these, the Surrealist painter Max Ernst, lived with the Éluards in ménage à trois. After some drama which had Ernst and Gala traveling to Vietnam chasing after Éluard, it was decided Gala would remain with her husband.
In 1929, the Éluards, part of a group that included fellow Surrealists René and Georgette Magritte and Camille Goemans, visited Dalí in Cadaqués. A few weeks later, when Éluard, Cecile, and the rest returned to Paris, Gala stayed on with Dalí.
Dalí and Gala. Photo Credit: thedali.wordpress.com
“Gala was the demonic dominatrix of his dreams. For her part, she was in the market for another celebrity husband.” John Richardson, Vanity Fair, December 1998
Convinced of Dalí’s genius, Gala was instrumental in persuading André Breton, founder of the splintering Surrealist movement, that his individuality would bolster Breton’s faction. Returning to Paris as new lovers, the pair presided over an exhibition of Dalí’s paintings at Galerie Goemans. Breton would go on to publicly denounce the couple, claiming Gala destroyed everyone she befriended.
“Dalí was a latecomer to Surrealism. An earlier generation of Surrealist painters – Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Andre Masson, Yves Tanguy – had paved the way for him, as had the Surrealist poets, above all Andre Breton, a control freak of genius who headed the movement.” John Richardson, Vanity Fair, December 1998
Gala became Dalí’s business manager, in charge of their money and negotiating with patrons and galleries alike. She micro-managed daily life to the point of selecting his brushes and colors. This left him free from mundane distractions to churn out paintings, although she hounded him mercilessly on his technique. He, in turn, began to fertilize the legend of Gala. She was his inspiration and reason for living. They were fused beings; he signed his work with both their names. There were rumors of extra-marital debauchery. By the mid-1930’s they had grown this flamboyant mystique to become world-renowned celebrities: fashionable, powerful and influential.
Trompe l’oeil disguises reality in the garden
Wandering through the castle and garden of Gala Dalí, you might wonder what kind of woman she was. Who could sow the seeds which reaped such devotion? Dalí’s homage to Gala here stems from a traditional backdrop of beauty and serenity but quickly descends into depravity. What kind of refuge was this, really?
Gravel pathways with tall hedges create hidden spaces
Throughout, there are the familiar creepy and even frightening, so very Dalí, elements we recognize.
Spindly, scary elephant adds a jarring note
Putting a multi-ton elephant on giraffe legs (or are they the limbs of a flamingo?) is a contradiction that suited Dali to a T!” – Paul Chimera
His reverence for Gala manifests in even more disturbing and bizarre expressions.
Gala’s throne greets arrivals. Did she really sit there?
“Everything celebrates the cult of Gala, even the round room, with its perfect echo that crowns the building as a whole and which is like a dome of this Galactic cathedral. When I walk around this house I look at myself and I see my concentricity. I like its moorish rigour. I needed to offer Gala a case more solemnly worthy of our love. That is why I gave her a mansion built on the remains of a 12th century castle: the old castle of Púbol in La Bisbal, where she would reign like an absolute sovereign, right up to the point that I could visit her only by hand-written invitation from her. I limited myself to the pleasure of decorating her ceilings so that when she raised her eyes, she would always find me in her sky.” – Salvador Dali, Confessions inconfessables (1973)
Although he dedicated this project to the wife he revered citing an idealistic notion of love, its sinister aspects create tension and apprehension with the visitor. This foreboding mood is emphasized inside the castle by the constant background music: Wagner, Dalí’s favorite composer. I asked the young docents on duty whether they got tired of all the Wagner. “You have no idea,” came the reply, “how much we hate it. It’s horrifying to listen to, over and over.”
The small, modest breakfast room where meals were taken when no guests were present. Sustenance obviously came elsewhere than from food.
You begin to realize that in the house and garden of Gala Dalí, tranquility is punctuated by disturbances not attributable to her alone. Instead, the furnishings and plantings are alive with the fears, anxieties, preferences and ambitions of Salvador, who was childlike in his narcissism. This retreat wasn’t so much for Gala as about him.
Wagner was Dalí’s favorite composer. Just one of his heads wasn’t enough.
Seriously, why all the creepy Wagner heads?
“[Author Ian] Gibson found evidence in Dali’s diaries – written in Catalan when he was only 17 – that the artist had fabricated his entire persona. ‘He admitted he was a fake, that every gesture was calculated for effect, that life was a farce and that he had to pretend to be what he was not. He swore that if he played at being a genius, he would become one.’ “ Fame and Shame and Salvador Dalí, The Independent
Others had already realized that Salvador was not the only narcissist in the house. Bohemian “It Girl”, Parisian Leonor Fini thought Gala “physically attractive,” but observed “every instant had to represent a revenge, a conquest, or an advantage.” Gala vividly realized where her bread was buttered, though: Anaïs Nin, fellow houseguest at a Virginia country estate during WWII with the Dalís, observed, “before we knew it, the household was functioning for the well-being of Dalí. Gala assumed we were all there to serve Dalí.”
By this time, their carefully cultivated celebrity status was firmly entrenched. George Orwell was a contemporary of sorts who had actually fought in the Spanish Civil War rather than flee the conflict as Dalí had. In a scathing recollection written during the height of World War II when the Dalís were safely ensconced within adoring American society, the English moralist explains how it all snowballed:
“He grew up into the corrupt world of the nineteen-twenties, when sophistication was immensely widespread and every European capital swarmed with aristocrats and rentiers who had given up sport and politics and taken to patronising the arts. If you threw dead donkeys at people, they threw money back. A phobia for grasshoppers — which a few decades back would merely have provoked a snigger — was now an interesting ‘complex’ which could be profitably exploited. And when that particular world collapsed before the German Army, America was waiting.” George Orwell, Benefit of Clergy: Some Notes on Salvador Dali, 1944
Dalí harbored irrational fears throughout his life: he was petrified of women’s genitalia (perhaps in reaction to perceived inadequacies of his own), and associated sex with “putrefaction and decay.” After observing colonies of ants devour larger animals as a child, he remained fearful of them and other insects. These fears are on repetitive display inside the house and in the garden.
“In Dalí’s work, ants represent decay, decomposition, change.” – Paul Chimera
Dalí’s symbology – insects swarm the elephant, ready to devour it. His favorite fleur de lis symbol – rendered here with overtones of the Fascism he purportedly admired – guides the beast.
Famously, the castle and garden of Gala Dalí were off limits to her husband unless she issued him a written invitation. There were practical reasons for this. As Dalí’s celebrity increased, the limelight faded for Gala. She turned to new, younger male companions for the affection and validation she craved. Even so, the couple was married in a religious ceremony in 1958.
Visiting Picasso, Céret (France), 1965. Photo Credit: capcatalogne.com
There are those in Púbol who still remember the haughty, self-absorbed Gala Dalí. Restaurant Can Bosch down the hill from the castle delivered daily meals. There was no place to prepare anything but a snack at the castle. Its kitchen had been repurposed into a hedonistic bathroom for Gala; its Aga stove was covered to make an enormous dressing table for her daily toilette.
Approaching the castle at Púbol. Photo Credit: goguide.bg
“Salvador and Gala Dalí really were quite unappealing people: self-centered to the point of extreme pathology, greedy, and remarkably philistine.” – Stephen Schwartz, The New Criterion
Gala could be quite imperious with the townspeople, insisting on parking in forbidden areas and commanding the police to look after her car while she shopped. In 1974, Dalí was worth $32 million, but generosity did not extend outside of each other. Several of his secretaries, whom they’d refused to directly pay, made do instead with commissions. Yet Gala demanded money in exchange for every gesture and appearance: $100 per live autograph, $10 per signature on a blank banknote sized page. Dalí could do about 100 of these per hour, and off they went to eager resellers.
A narrow glimpse in the garden wall
As the currency Gala most valued – her youth and beauty – began to diminish, her involvement with younger men increased. Her most notorious relationship, with the lead vocalist from Jesus Christ Superstar, occurred when she was in her late seventies. Gala’s attention to her husband declined, and he became more agitated by this. Some suggest that he may have physically abused Gala during this period; others, that she attempted to poison him.
Over the garden wall
All of this is hard to process as you walk the gravel paths in the garden of Gala Dalí. The castle is situated at the edge of Púbol looking down over town on the one side, adjacent to grain fields on the other. Hedges are neatly clipped, and in the golden hour, the fantastical creatures Dalí sculpted appear more whimsical than sinister.
The Cadillac in which Gala took her last ride
But still, dead Gala’s Cadillac conjures a prophetic Dalí installation about which Orwell famously said, “Mere moral disapproval does not get one any further, but neither ought one to pretend, in the name of ’detachment’, that such pictures as Mannequin Rotting in a Taxicab are morally neutral.”
After Gala died, Dalí worked in this little corner.
We may appreciate the strange beauty with which a devoted Salvador Dalí embellished Gala’s refuge. Most will certainly regard him as an artistic genius, and give Gala her due as his muse. However, perhaps we should temper our appreciation with the truth about who they really were. This lingering energy is something to think about as we wander in the castle and garden of Gala Dalí.
Discover hotels in and around Púbola.
Pinnable Image:
Practical Information:
Casa Museu Castell Gala Dalí Púbola,17120 Púbol (La Pera). Tel. +34 972 488 655. Open 15 March – 31 December. Group visits by prior arrangement. Guided tours for groups by appointment.
We were the guests of Casa Museu Castell Gala Dalí Púbola during our visit, arranged by Costa Brava Turisme and Visit Empordà. Opinions, as always, are our own.
Tips for Trip Success
Book Your Flight
Find an inexpensive flight by using CheapOAir, a favorite of ours because it regularly returns less expensive flight options from a variety of airlines.
Book Your Hotel or Special Accommodation
We are big fans of Booking.com. We like their review system and photos. If we want to see more reviews and additional booking options, we go to TripAdvisor.
You Need Travel Insurance!
Good travel insurance means having total peace of mind. Travel insurance protects you when your medical insurance often will not and better than what you get from your credit card. It will provide comprehensive coverage should you need medical treatment or return to the United States, compensation for trip interruption, baggage loss, and other situations.
PassingThru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
To view PassingThru’s privacy policy, click here.
What an intense look at the passion and loves of Gala and Dali’s obsession, unknown to me before, over her. This is a beguiling account of the Casa. It was as if I was there walking the grounds with you, joining you in the oohs and aahs. Bravo!
Hi Carol – Thank you so much. It’s an even more fascinating visit when you realize the story behind it.
great post! So glad I’m not the only one who thought it was sinister despite all the beautifully faded stone and lush roses.
Hi Shobha – You certainly are not! Our day there was so lovely, wasn’t it? But I, too, found it jarring with these seemingly off-key elements and disturbing energy.
What an incredible story, and an incredible life led by two extraordinary people. I didn’t know any of that and you told it so well, along with the photos you took.
Hi Laura – Thank you. I didn’t know either, and the more I found, the more it seemed there was to discover.
Having been there with you, I can only say KUDOS! What a fantastic story, impeccably researched and written! Dali and Gala were a very unique and entertaining couple, to say the least, and castle he bought for her in Pubol was stunning.
Hi Patti – I never knew these details until the stories told on the day of our visit! It seemed like the more I looked into them, the more I found. I’m sure wherever the Dalís might be at the moment, they’re still gratified by the attention. 😉
What an interesting place – Dali was such a quirky guy but I do enjoy his art. But yes – all those Wagner heads are weird lol
Hi Megsy – I think I appreciate most of the art even more, now that I know the stories. But the Wagner heads and macabre music were definitely a little much. 😉
WOW what an interesting story! I had no idea about most of this, and knew almost nothing about Gala Dali. What a strange and twisted life! Thank you for this excellent post.
Hi Bethany – I’d always been intrigued by the art, but like you, had no idea about the background. Now the art makes more sense. Thanks.
A beautifully written, meticulous piece – I had no idea of this love affair and was gripped by the way you explained it all. I’ll have to visit for myself!
Hi Claire – There is actually a triad of Dalí properties you can visit in the Costa Brava: this one, the house in Figueres, and their home in Port Lligat, where Gala died. Salvador moved into the castle after she died (having not been allowed except by invitation prior) to be closer to Gala, who is interred in the basement crypt. This lasted until he, as a demanding elderly patient, short-circuited his call button to the nurses on site and started a fire in the blue bedroom. He was moved to Figueres after that where he passed, and where they interred him, contrary to his wishes. I find it kind of sad that he wanted to be next to Gala in death and didn’t get his wish.
Wow, what a wonderful post! My dad is a huge Dali fan; will definitely be sharing this with him.
Hi Michele – Glad you can share it with him!
Thank you for all th background information. I love the stories behind the art.
Hi Jen – Thank you so much. Happy to share. 🙂
All those heads! Poor Wagner! I’ll admit, this kind of art isn’t really my thing and I find it a bit out there and spooky but I think for a Surrealist lover this would be a can’t miss stop.
Hi Vanessa – I don’t think I’d hang a Dalí reproduction in my personal space either, but it’s a fascinating voyeuristic visit.
I’ve just added the Garden of Gala to my must-visit list. I studied art history in school and always enjoy visiting the homes of artists and learning more about their personal lives. You did a wonderful job telling the story of Dali and Gala. It certainly piques my interest. Thanks for sharing the stories it inspires me learn even more. On a side note, if you get a chance visit the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida you’d really enjoy it.
Hi Sue – Thank you so much. With your background, I’m sure you would really enjoy visiting the Dali triad of homes in Catalunya. I had forgotten there’s a Dalí museum in St. Pete! Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
What great history about the Dalis in your garden of Gala Dali post. I’m fascinated by the early 20th century artists and artistic movements. This captures the Dadas and Surrealists a bit. Arriving at your home dead, sitting up in your car with a nurse is pretty surreal in itself. Thanks for a very detailed post.
Hi Billie – Yes, dead Gala speeding away in her Cadillac because she wanted to die at the castle is just the most bizarre thing ever, isn’t it? How compelling she was even in death to get people to do that for her!
I had no idea what a megalomaniac Dali was and his wife, Gala also?! If only there were a courageous film director (and spot-on talent casting agent) to turn this into a film.
Hi Elaine – I think the story could only have been done by Fellini, perhaps. 😉
Hi Betsy,
I think it necessary to have eccentric and unusual people in the world in order to illustrate to the rest of us where the edge of the limits are. I love this story of Gala, Dali and their lives. While some of it disgusting and almost anti-human, they created fabulous, ground-breaking art.
Thanks Betsy for your always colorful and informative posts!
Regards,
Josie
Hi Josie – I agree, they were fascinating people who created art which had a monumental impact.
What a fascinating story about Dali and Gala. It’s hard to imagine that they married in 1958. That feels so contemporary yet their lives appear anything but~
Love your well-researched story and the photos of the garden and castle.
Hi Irene – Well, they did marry in 1934, or thereabouts, in a civil ceremony. Paul Éluard, with whom Gala remained (shall we say) close, had to die before they could be married in the Catholic church. A church wedding mattered to Dalí after his change of heart away from atheism. Here’s the scoop according to one authority: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/dali/salvador/religion.html#id=DaliAndReligion&num=01
What a fascinating article. I’ll have to re-read it a few times to digest all the wonderful tidbits about these unique characters. You’ve given me another reason to go back to Spain soon!
Hi Denis – Happy to share, as if we all needed a reason, though. 🙂
I love the quotes, especially Orwell’s, about the lives of Dali and his wife Gala. What an amazing glimpse into surreal, immoral, and conflicted era reflected in the castle at Pubol.
Hi Kristin – Yeah, Orwell didn’t hold back. Perhaps you’re aware he’d been severely injured fighting against the Fascists in Catalunya and had returned to England ahead of the London blitz. His injuries prevented him from Army service, so he was serving in the Home Guard for the duration. Higher moral ground, to be sure.
Thanks for taking me to the Castle with you, and for telling such an incredible history. Love it !
Nat
Hi Natalie – Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is absolutely fascinating Betsy. I’m a big fan of Dali though I know he had his demons. Are all the artworks in the garden and house created by him?
Hi Suze – Yes, the entire place is all Dalí. You’d love it.
Stories within stories. Gala Dali and Salvadore Dali remain intriguing on so many levels.I really enjoyed reading more about their lives, loves, passions. Orwell was interesting also on his own level
Hi Paula – Indeed. I finished Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia” last month and thought it was far better than “A Farewell to Arms,” though both he and Hemingway had similar experiences in the Civil War. These were very vivid moments in history, and it’s not surprising they would influence creative work. I am just now starting to wrap my head around this rather small world they all moved in.
What a fascinating post! You found a lot more history about Gala and Salvadore Dali than I have heard before. The garden and castle look lovely, but with a nightmarish side that I also feel about his artwork. They were both interesting characters but I don’t think I would enjoy having the Dali’s over for tea.
Hi Shelley – I might invite them over, but I’m convinced I’d be happy to wave goodbye, too. 😉
Dada and Dali and Gala, oh my! I’d love to visit the garden and castle of Gala Dalí in Púbol. Hope I get there someday.
Hi Carole – I’m sure you’d find it as enjoyable as our group did. 🙂
Fantastic story. I appreciate all the background you provided on Dali and Gala. I’ve visited the Dali Museum in Figueres. Gala is prominent in many of the works there and I learned a bit there about the oddities and narcissism of Dali and Gala. The castle and garden of Gala Dali would be an interesting visit.
Hi Donna – I would love to visit Figueres to see and learn more. I feel I only scratched the surface here.
It’s amazing how famous personalities during those timeframes were truly in it for the art forms and then there were a few with such grandiose egos and savy marketing nature – I really don’t get this type of creativity that people exploit to be famous.
Hi Noel – With narcissistic personalities, fabrication is part and parcel. That hasn’t changed, has it. The quote about Dalí being in the second wave (and the implication that he was a lesser talent) of surrealism is probably a bit unfair. Orwell’s statement about throwing dead donkeys and people lapping it up kinda sums it up.
This is truly one of the most fascinating posts I’ve ever read! What an amazing piece you have here. So informative and thorough. What an odd relationship but so intriguing. Well done 🙂
Hi Erin – So happy to know your thoughts. Thank you very much. 🙂
This is love!
I love Dali’s work, going to Figueres and Pubol is on my next travels here in Catalonia!
Hi Bruno – Glad we could influence your plans. Thanks!
It’s amazing that Dali gathered all his inspiration because of his wife. It must have been not easy for her to have such a high responsibility for his creativity.
Hi Barbara – I think it must have been exhausting to a certain degree for them both. There was clearly a lot of striving and calculation going on with all the artistic talent.
Fantastic story! I had no idea about the tumultuous relationship between Dali and Gala. These types of stories seemed to be glossed over in most art history classes. Although I really wish we learned more about them as they influence the art so much especially in this instance. I hope that I will get a chance to visit the gardens and the house next month when we are visiting Barcelona!
Hi Ashley and Alex – Oh, I hope you do, too. Barcelona is so wonderful, but it’s also a quick drive up to the Costa Brava. I hope you have lots of time to spend in this lovely part of Spain. You’re right, sometimes art history is more about the art than the people (who can be far more interesting!).
Seems as if both these eccentric (I’m trying to be polite and politically correct!) personalities deserved each other. A match made in heaven! I visited the Dali House in Figueres, Spain a few years and I could not for the life of me fathom the complexity and depth of his inner psyche as he was creating these art installations. He would have to be added to my list of one of my dream dinner party guests living or dead. Now I may have to add Gala too!
Hi Kristen – Love your insights, but I would love even more to be a guest at this dinner party of yours! 🙂
Fabulous! From now on I’m going to pretend I’m a genius and tell my husband he needs an invite to visit me. Hobby horse! I love it. I need a throne! I learned so much from this post. I’d never even heard of Gala. Thanks, Betsy.
Hi Carol – I didn’t know very much about her until our visit, either. The more I learned the more I wanted to know. Glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely fascinating post and I love your opening paragraph of the dead Gala taking her last ride! The celebrities of the twenties and thirties all seem to have been out sized and WAY over-the-top as they stretched the boundaries of what was acceptable in both the arts and their lifestyles. Perhaps they weren’t very likeable but they certainly remain interesting!
Hi Anita – Yes, it’s an interesting point. With the advent of better communication, their antics reached a bigger audience. Did that make them seem even larger than life? For sure, these two knew how to manipulate coverage in their favor, and they’re fascinating.
Wow such stunning photographs! x
Hi Simone – Thank you.
I’ve always felt “creeped out” by Dali without even knowing his story that you so engrossingly told here. I wish I knew all this when a few years ago, I had lunch with a friend of a friend (at Philadelphia’s stodgy Union League of all places). When I met her, she was married to a pulmonary physician (as am I), but she told us about when she used to date Salvador Dali. I surely would have had a few more questions for her had I already read this post.
Hi Suzanne – What! That’s an incredible story! It would have to have been before his health deteriorated in the early 80’s. Gala died in 1982. Do you think it adds up? Inquiring minds want to know!
What a fascinating story! We were visiting part of the Dalinian triangle last year and this was the only place we missed. I do hope to get there one day though. While reading your post I also realized how little I actually knew about Gala, but I have always wondered about her and the couple’s relationship..