Casa Casanovas (Cal Mila)

Located in Champhran between the square of the same name and Montserrat Street, Casa Casanovas —also called Cal Milà— is a key piece to understand the urban planning of the mid-nineteenth century. The work of the master builder Felicià Sallent i Pujador (1859), its eclectic language combines neoclassical moldings, wrought iron balconies and an accentuated corner that solves the angle with elegance.
The ground floor, historically intended for trade, opens with portals framed on plinths and preserves the original carpentry partly restored. On the main floor stands out a balcony running over the square and an angled balcony that embraces the two roads; the railings, of repeated design in other houses in the square, bring coherence to the environment.
The second floor follows the modulation but with smaller or ampitated balconies, evidencing the vertical hierarchy: more solemnity in the main, more lightness in the upper rooms. A moulded cornice and flat terrace finish off the volumetry, while highlighted mountings mark the corner crunch.
The façade houses a plaque that recalls that Joan Casanovas i Maristany (1890-1942), a workers' lawyer, mayor and president of the Parliament of Catalonia in 1933, was born here. This memorial value adds to the architectural interest and its contribution to the urban scene created when, in 1863, Jaume Mir promoted the new square.
Protected as a BPU (tab 49), the house is today of mixed residential and commercial use, maintains its original facade and continues to live thanks to the activities that are housed there. It can be visited only on the ground floor when the business is open, but the facade is a must stop for those who walk through the old town.

More information: Link 1