Casademont to Cadaqués

Francesc Casademont, from Barcelona, living in Figueres, visits Cadaqués for first time, just after the civil war, and despite the relative poverty, is attracted by the lively art scene (Dalí had just begun to put the town on the art world’s map), and the “spaciousness of the sea”.

Michelle is born

Michelle is born in South Africa, and subsequently lives in Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, the US, Switzerland and London.

Building La Bruguera

After decades in the Cadaqués scene Casademont constructs La Bruguera, in the Vall de La Pera, having suffered a heart problem and “burn out”, and seeking refuge from the hustle-bustle of a gentrified town in the art world spotlight.

Mike is born

Mike is born in Canada, and over the next two decades lives in Japan, Switzerland, Chile and London, working in Africa, Asia, Russia, the Middle East and the US.

Casademonts to La Bruguera

The Casademont family live in La Bruguera, and Francesc turns almost exclusively to painting, “in the shelter of the forest”. Here he is able to generate the bulk of his prodigious body of work.

Cross of St George

Francesc D’Assís  Casademont is awarded the Cross of St George, Catalonia’s highest civil honour.

Mike and Michelle meet

They meet at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where they both studied, and then worked.

First sustainable renovation

They acquire and renovate an 1867 historically-protected cottage, engineered by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, part of the Abbey Mills Pumping Station, which they renovate to run entirely on renewable energy, getting a taste for sustainable historic renovations…

Project in Catalonia

Mike is engaged to work with the Gresol Art Association in Madremanya, to develop a plan to seek finance, for a new art school, based around the archive of recently deceased art critic, Maria Lluisa Borras, co-director of the Joan Miro Foundation, and thus starts to travel to and from the Empordà regularly.

Brain surgery scare

In 2013, Mike requires sudden brain surgery, and a prolonged recovery and a new daughter give Mike and Michelle pause for thought, and they begin to investigate living in the Empordà.

La Bruguera purchase

Mike and Michelle buy La Bruguera from Maria Angels, having sold up in London. Maria Angels, almost 90, moves to Barcelona, to be with her older sisters.

Mike and Michelle reprise the renewable-energy driven complete renovation project, but on a building almost 8 times larger than their previous London attempt.

La Bruguera reborn

La Bruguera is reborn, and once again thrives as a place for creative and active people to focus on their personal development “in the shelter of the forest”.