La Sagrada Familia

If for whatever reason you find yourself unfortunately having to choose one activity to embark on in Barcelona, make sure La Sagrada Familia is it. It is by far the most compelling and captivating sight in Spain. We highly recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time – buying tickets before your trip minimizes the amount of time you stand in line at the ticket counter, assuming, that is, that you even get a ticket; only a certain number of tickets are sold each day, which can leave you out of luck if you decide to go to La Sagrada Familia last minute and only have one day to do it. Check out the ticket options here. The audioguide is a necessity to really take everything in; they can be purchased separately at the entrance, but you save a little bit of money purchasing one in advance with your ticket. The website also sells tickets for groups of more than nine, as well as school groups.

La Sagrada Familia captures your attention due not only to its sheer size and magnitude, but to the sheer eons it’s taking to finish this thing. Construction commenced on this famous Roman Catholic church in 1882 and is still under construction. That’s right. Not done. The cranes that swoop over the top and scar the face of every tourist picture in sight have become part of the massive structure’s identity, much to travelers’ chagrin. Indeed, I’d put money on the fact that photoshop’s primary source of income are tourists needing to edit out these cranes.

La Sagrada Familia is well-known for its unique architectural style, modernisme, pioneered by the famous Antoni Gaudi; upon his death, 44 years after construction began, La Sagrada Familia was not even a quarter complete. When pressed to explain this, Gaudi famously responded, “my client is not in a hurry.”

Despite the slow progress, there is progress. The methodical advancement towards completion is highly criticized, as many question whether a church that was going to take this long and cost so much should have been built at all. However, the beauty of the church and its relentless march through some of the most challenging times of Spain’s history speak more to a icon of determination and influence, not one of purposelessness. La Sagrada Familia relies exclusively on private donations through Friends of the Sagrada Familia and ticket sales to fund the construction; it receives no boost from the government or official church funds. In its now 134 years of construction, the church has survived fights over its design, a fire in its sacristy, a risk of complete foundation destruction thanks to Spain’s high-speed rail, and the Spanish Civil War.

For purposes of visiting La Sagrada Familia, it can be divided three main “components”: the spires, the façades, and the main interior.

The spires sit on the outside of the cathedral and basically look like an upside-down ice cream cones with a flower on top (that’s the best I’ve got); they are the first thing your eye is drawn to when you see La Sagrada Familia or view a picture of it. Gaudi originally intended there to be 18 spires, designed to represent the twelve apostles, the Virgin Mary, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Jesus Christ. As of 2010, only 8 of the 18 had been built, with all 18 to be completed at the church’s target finish date of 2026 (coming’ up folks!). Once the final 18 are constructed, La Sagrada Familia will be the tallest church in the world.

There are three maid façades (one of which is not yet completed). The first is the Nativity Façade, constructed between 1894 and 1930; it is dedicated to Jesus’s birth and features an nature/life theme, complete with little turtles at the base of the main columns of the façade. It purposely faces east to represent the rising sun, and its design emphasizes hope, faith, and charity. The second façade is the Passion Façade, which was mostly completed in 1976, with some additions currently being made. It is the direct contrast of the Nativity Façade, designed to represent the death of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, it faces west to represent the setting sun. In order, the Passion Façade depicts Jesus’s last night alive, Calvary, and his death. The third façade is the Glory Façade, designed to be the largest and most imposing of the façades. Construction on it didn’t begin until 2002; when it is complete it will reflect the glory of Jesus, his death, and the final judgment of man.

The interior of La Sagrada Familia is somewhat confusing; its imposing branch-like columns and bright stained glass colors don’t help, but take the time to appreciate them and soak everything in. If you look carefully you’ll notice the inside of La Sagrada Familia is designed in the shape of a cross (typical of cathedrals),with five main aisles/naves. The ceiling, surprisingly one of the  most impressive geometric components of the church, are held up by tall, individually-unique columns designed to look like tree trunks and branches.

 

  

Gaudi loved color and insisted that as many colors as possible made an appearance inside La Sagrada Familia. He did this most effectively through the use of stained glass windows that light up the entire church like a rainbow. Many of them depict import religious scenes and symbols.

    

Keep an eye out for four stone-like icons built into the columns – they represent the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

  

At the end of your tour, check out the two gift shops, one on each side of the cathedral. Whatever you do, don’t miss La Sagrada Familia; it’s an iconic and awesome part of Spain’s history. If you want to read more check out the website here.

Happy Spanish travels!