La Sagrada Familia, the most visited monument in Spain, recently commemorated the completion of the Mare de Déu tower by raising a 12-pointed metallic glass star to its peak. This is the first of the church’s six major towers to be completed after 140 years of work, and its enormous ornamentation now brightens the Barcelona nightscape.
However, not everyone is thrilled. The star is unlikely to lift the spirits of locals whose lives have been ravaged for years by the city’s most popular tourist attraction, which lured 60,000 people a day into the area before the pandemic.
In a nutshell, this is exactly what Sagrada Familia is – a magnet for controversy. Well before Gaudí was appointed to build it in 1883, La Sagrada Familia had already been a source of dispute. For every person that calls it a masterpiece and an exceptional example of modernist architecture, you will find another one that calls it “plain ugly”.
At Designer Journeys, we believe a trip to Barcelona would be incomplete without visiting La Sagrada Familia, the city’s most famous structure. You can either love it or hate it, but to have an opinion, you first need to get to know this one-of-a-kind temple during your next trip to Barcelona.
The history of La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is famed for its architect, even though Gaudí was not the original architect appointed by Josep Maria Bocabella. Gaudí was still in his early twenties and only beginning out as an architect with no completed project to his name when the basilica was initially envisaged.
Josep Maria Bocabella, a bookseller, came up with the concept for La Sagrada Familia in 1872 when he travelled to the Vatican in Rome.
When he returned to Barcelona, captivated by the magnificence of what he witnessed in Rome, Bocabella set out to create a cathedral modelled after the Basilica Della Santa Casa in Loreta, Italy.
Thanks to numerous generous donors, Bocabella was able to retain architect Francisco de Paula del Villar to design the church. Del Villar suggested a neo-Gothic structure, in line with popular trends at that time, and Bocabella’s association obtained a piece of land in 1881, just outside of Barcelona’s formal city boundaries.
The first stone of La Sagrada Familia was laid on March 19, 1882. The couple began with the apse crypt. However, Lozano only got as far as the building’s foundations and the crypt when the investors asked Gaudí to take over.
Source: barcelonina.com
The main reason for the change of architect were public debates regarding the foundation’s construction system and money, as well as common disputes between Bocabella and del Villar, who couldn’t agree, for example, on the size of the columns in the temple’s crypt.
Gaudí, then 31 years old and a rising star in Catalonia’s architectural scene, probably has met Bocabella through numerous common friends. However, legend has it that Bocabella was saved in a dream by a red-hair hero with facial characteristics identical to Gaudí’s.
Once hired, Antoni Gaudí would go on to significantly alter the plans, leaving his indelible mark on a structure that would go on to become one of the most recognisable and pioneering in contemporary architectural history.
Gaudí’s designs were influenced by Bocabella’s ideals and the right-wing sociopolitical movements that swept Catalonia at the time. He drew inspiration from the nearby Montserrat mountain range in his truly revolutionary designs for the building’s sculptural mass and elevation.
He also recommended the cathedral be constructed in the form of a series of unique façades, each with a meticulously chosen baroque jumble of sculptures. Therefore, the basilica would educate tourists about the Catholic principles linked with the Holy Family even while it was under construction.
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By the first part of the twentieth century, Antoni Gaudí had become one of Spain’s most renowned and sought-after—architects. He was also engaged in large public and private projects while La Sagrada Familia slowly rose. However, in the late summer of 1909, at the age of 57, he devoted himself entirely to the construction of the basilica.
Gaudí became increasingly disciplined and monk-like in his exclusive commitment to the Sagrada Familia during the following 15 years.
Over the project’s construction duration, the expected completion date has been repeatedly postponed. “My customer isn’t in a rush,” Antoni Gaudí famously replied in 1922 when asked when he would finish it. Because he was a devout Catholic, he saw his customer as God.
For this reason, the temple is even more known for the amount of time it took to complete. The construction of the La Sagrada Familia seems to go on forever.
Antoni Gaudí, the man behind the building
Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect who is undoubtedly the most well-known figure in modern Barcelona history. His designs have become hotspots that draw millions of people each year, and his legacy is still acclaimed as truly innovative and admired by architects of the world.
Source: Wikipedia
Gaudí pioneered Modernisme (Barcelona’s version of Art Nouveau). His style was one-of-a-kind, and he was continually pushing the conventional boundaries. His designs were distinct from those of his peers from the beginning. Natural shapes far more influenced Gaudi than the ideas of other architects.
The majority of Gaudí’s structures have a naturalistic aspect to them. The use of naturally curved building blocks, twisted iron sculptures, and nature-imitating designs – all of these are characteristic features of Gaudí’s style and reflect this underlying philosophy of using nature as the major influence for his creativity.
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He saw that severe geometric lines, triangles, squares, and perfect circles, which were common in prior construction, were uncommon in nature. As a result, Gaudí set out to design a new style of architecture based on naturally curved lines. This curvilinear approach characterises Gaudí’s designs.
Coloured tiles set in mosaic patterns decorate several of Gaudí’s structures (you can admire more of Gadi’s buildings during this 10-Day Essentials of Spain Tour). This adds another significant component to his buildings that other architects sometimes overlook: the use of colour. Gaudi’s art combines creative design, unusual, curved masonry, and brilliant colours to create a genuinely beautiful visual experience for the observer.
Religion also had a significant impact on Gaudí. He was a profoundly devout individual, and almost everything he created included religious meaning or significance. He considered his structures as tools for spreading the Christian message.
He dedicated most of his life to the design and building of the Sagrada Familia, which he considered his greatest accomplishment. His remains were buried in the crypt of La Sagrada Familia itself after his terrible death in 1926 (aged 73) when he was hit by a tram. The basilica was just 25% completed during that moment!
La Sagrada Familia on the outside
La Sagrada Familia’s exterior includes three façades, each depicting a stage of Jesus’ life: nativity, passion, and glory. Passion is sometimes referred to as suffering in the Christian religion.
The nativity and passion façades are already built, and the glory façade will be the final element of the basilica’s interior and exterior to be completed. The nativity facade is on Carrer de la Marina, while the passion facade is on Carrer de la Sardenya, on the other side of La Sagrada Familia. There are four clock towers on each façade. Each tower represents one of the 12 apostles.
On the northeast side, facing La Plaça de Gaudí is the Nativity façade. This facade was the first to be constructed according to the Catalan modernist style because Gaudí remained in command of the project until he died in 1926. The (outside of the) nativity façade was well underway at the time. The façade features three gates with statues of the virtues “Fe,” “Esperança,” and “Caritat,” which are Catalan for Faith, Hope, and Charity, respectively. The front is extensively embellished with natural motifs, some of which are coloured.
On the southern side of La Sagrada Familia, the passion façade is positioned on the opposite side of the Nativity façade. This façade confronts La Plaça de la Sagrada Famlia on the outside. This site, erected half a century after the nativity façade, has a considerably more contemporary style. It is covered in polygonal sculptures, with the most remarkable feature being a statue of Jesus on the crucifixion.
The glory façade will become the final part of La Sagrada Familia to be completed. This façade is on the southeast side of the building, toward the front. There isn’t much to see at the moment because nearly nothing has been done to it. However, the groundwork for the shell-like structures on this site has already been laid.
La Sagrada Familia interior
Is it worth to visit La Sagrada Familia inside? Definitely yes! There are a million reasons why visiting the inside of La Sagrada Familia is worthwhile. Every nook and cranny, every surface has been meticulously planned and manufactured, not just to be functional and attractive but also to represent something.
When planning the basilica’s interior, Gaudi completely ignored the rules. Traditional churches are gloomy, solemn spaces for serious reflection and worship. When it comes to La Sagrada Familia, the contrary is true.
Gaudí was an enormous enthusiast of natural light and planned a great deal around it. The basilica is a bright and airy space with delicate, reflecting hues and magnificent stained-glass windows. Yellow, orange, and red hues, as well as stained glass, decorate the structure’s west side. Blues and greens illuminate the east. The light that pours through is coloured and mesmerising, making the final effect simply stunning. You suddenly feel as if you’re peeking into a massive kaleidoscope!
The altar, which is located in the apse of the Sagrada Familia, is located at the far end of the interior. It’s an interesting altar, with the image of Jesus Christ beneath a canopy covered with grapevines. Worth mentioning is that Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the altar of the Sagrada Familia in 2010.
A massive golden mosaic showing two forms – the circle and the triangle – can be seen on the dome. The holy trinity is represented by a triangle, and the circle represents the universe it is a part of.
As we all know, Gaudí was not a huge admirer of straight lines. As a result, the inside has a very flowing feel to it, with no sharp edges or flat surfaces. While the basilica’s façade features rich, detailed embellishments, the interior is considerably smoother, more flowing, and clean-cut.
You can visit the inside of La Sagrada Familia during our 13-Day Fall in Love with Spain trip.
If you already know that you want to visit La Sagrada Familia (and we hope that you do!), connect with our Local Designer to arrange a trip to Barcelona with a personalised tour inside this one-of-a-kind temple.
La Sagrada Familia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
La Sagrada Familia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. It is truly distinctive, being the only significant church in the world that is actively under construction!
Because of the ups and downs in funding throughout the years, this magnificent basilica has taken an abnormal amount of time to build (and it’s still not complete!). Ticket sales and private contributions are now the only funding sources for its development. You will be helping the development of this Catalan masterpiece by purchasing a ticket to see it – and what an incredible honour that is.
Don’t miss your chance to see Europe’s most visited and top-rated monument with the help of Designer Journeys. Design your fully-customisable trip to Spain and submerge yourself in Spanish architecture and culture today!
