The dragon gate at the Güell Pavilions represents Ladon, the dragon that guarded the Garden of the Hesperides.
Gaudí designed the main entrance as a wrought-iron dragon with glass eyes. The creature is linked to the myth of Hercules, who overcame Ladon during one of his twelve labours to obtain the garden’s golden oranges. An orange tree above the gate reinforces that symbolism.
The design also reflects literary and astronomical references. The episode was associated with Jacint Verdaguer’s poem L’Atlàntida, a work connected to the cultural circle surrounding Eusebi Güell. The dragon’s form has also been interpreted as corresponding to the Serpens constellation, since Ladon was transformed into a serpent in myth.
A common mix-up is to identify the gate with Typhon, Python, or the Hydra. Those are different mythological creatures: Ladon is specifically the guardian of the Hesperides’ golden fruit. The pavilions were built for Güell’s estate between 1884 and 1887 and marked Gaudí’s first major collaboration with the industrialist.