La Sagrada Familia Barcelona

The towers of the La Sagrada Familia church are a well known landmark on the Barcelona skyline, and the church is undisputedly the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona, in spite of the fact that it has in fact still not been finished.

It is an astonishing monument, both to its architect, the famous Antoni Gaudí, and to man’s skill and application.

La Sagrada Familia was the brainchild of Barcelonese Josep María Bocabello, who was worried about the de-Christianisation of his town fellows with the growing prosperity in the 1870s’ increasingly industrial   Barcelona.

The idea right from the beginning was to create an expiatory church, i.e. a church whose construction is funded solely by donations. For this reason it had a fairly limited budget, so Bocabello bought the plot of land where it was to be built on the outskirts of Barcelona, as the budget would not cover a plot in the centre of the city. Today, of course, the church is right in the middle of the city due to the growth of Barcelona over the past 130 years.

The project started in 1882. Originally Bocabello enlisted the help of architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, who agreed to work for no fee. However, soon arguments arose over the materials the construction should be made from, del Villar wanting to use expensive materials and Bocabello feeling honour bound to spend the donors’ money with care.

Del Villar resigned from the post, and Bocabello asked the young (31-year-old) Antoni Gaudí to take over. Gaudí agreed and immediately changed del Villar’s neo-gothic designs to his own more modernistic ideals.

Gaudí devoted the rest of his life to the construction of the church. At first he had other projects running simultaneously, but for the last decade or so of his life he dedicated all his time to la Sagrada Familia. He died in 1926 after being hit by a tram.

The most outstanding feature of La Sagrada Familia is its many towers. When the church is finished it will have some 18 towers, each with a symbolic meaning. Four Towers on each of the three facades represent the 12 apostles. The towers reach a height of 90 to 120m (394ft).  Another four towers represent the 4 evangelists. They will surround the largest, 170m/558ft tall tower, dedicated to Jesus Christ. The last tower, dedicated to Virgin Mary, will be built over the apse.

La Sagrada Familia has three façades: The Apse Façade, the Nativity Façade and the Passion Façade. The Apse Façace is right above the crypt and it was constructed in 1891-1893 in a gothic inspired style. The Nativity Façade is exultantly decorated and celebrates life. Its images represent the more familiar and human side of Jesus, many of them being domestic animals and tools. The Passion Façade, on the other hand, represents Christ’s suffering on the cross and the redemption of man’s sins. This is a more austere and simple design without ornaments.

The construction of the church has been surrounded by some controversy as some critics claim that since the death of Gaudí his principles have not been honoured. Some say that the materials that have been used are not what the architect would have used. For example, you can see the difference in the stone used at the front and the back of the building.
There is also a difference of style between the newer and older parts.

However, finished or not, this is definitely a monument worth visiting. You can visit the crypt where Gaudí is buried and the museum which tells both Gaudi’s and the church’s stories. There you can also see masons at work carving the stone. If you do not suffer from neither vertigo nor claustrophobia, a lift and a long walk will take you to the top of one of the towers, from where you have a magnificent view of the whole city of Barcelona.

If you are in those parts, make sure you do not miss out on a visit to this amazing work of construction with its many beautiful details, so truly in the spirit of Gaudí.