Ana Viladomiu, a 70-year-old writer, says she is the last tenant in Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Milà in Barcelona, where she has lived for almost 40 years and raised her two daughters. [1]
Viladomiu told The Guardian she has grown used to the flow of tourists at the World Heritage site. “I’m used to all the visitors. It’s a world heritage site, but it’s my home and has been for almost 40 years,” she said. She added that the attention can be intrusive: “Obviously, I can’t take the rubbish out in my pyjamas because people take photos or ask me if I’m the woman who lives upstairs, like I’m a character. That’s part of my life. But I know it’s a privilege to live here.” [1]
Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, draws about 1 million visitors a year. Viladomiu said her apartment is protected by a renta antigua, a fixed-rent contract that lets her and her separated husband stay until they die. Contracts of that type stopped being issued in 1985, but an estimated 100,000 still exist across Spain. [1]
She said the building once had many more residents. “When I moved in there was plenty of life here, lots of neighbours,” she said. She also recalled that around that time the building was bought by Caixa Catalunya, which paid tenants to leave so it could refurbish the property. [1]
The not-for-profit foundation that manages La Pedrera took over the building in 2013, according to the article. The same article said the designer store Vinçon, owned by Fernando Amat, closed in 2015. [1]
The Guardian published the account on 2026-05-04, and Viladomiu’s apartment remains covered by the renta antigua contract. [1]
