Visiting the Basilica of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

When I was in Spain, Barcelona intrigued me with its boundless culture, architectural marvels, towering temple columns and world-class culinary scene. This seaside city is dotted, with many historic walls, hidden stone tunnels, Gothic patterns, huge plazas and old cathedrals. The art scene is bogarted with Gaudí’s sculptural masterpieces and artworks by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, among others. Before leaving Barcelona, you must visit its museums and La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that encapsulates Gaudí’s unequalled skill.

The Roman Catholic Church of La Sagrada Família is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the office of the dominant religious administrator. When I initially arrived, I was taken aback by the cathedral’s high verticality, which inspired awe. The ongoing construction is anticipated to be completed by 2026, about the same time as the cathedral architect’s death commemorates a century. Exquisite craftsmanship, Gothic and curvilinear Nouveau creative expressions, and geometrically accurate designs are all deserving of appreciation.

Gaudí avoided straight forms and instead embellished his towers with jagged shapes reminiscent of the holy mountain Montserrat, as well as a sculpture that appears to sprout from the stone. It is, without a doubt, one of the most remarkable Gothic structures I have ever seen. Despite its incomplete state, La Sagrada attracts over half a million visitors each year, making it Spain’s most popular tourist attraction. Antoni Gaudí’s intellect and concentration had been entirely consumed, by the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia.

Initially, a conservative community expressed interest in constructing the temple as a means of atonement for modernity’s faults; however, Gaudí saw the temple completion solely as an apostolic calling. When the money donated dried up, Gaudí supplemented it with his own and appealed to willing donors. Gaudí designed a 312 foot long and 197-foot wide temple in 43 years, which seats over 13,000 people.

He also built a 558-foot-tall central tower over the Christ transept and 17 other towers that stand 328 feet or higher. The Apostles are depicted on three of Antoni Gaudí’s magnificent façades, while the Virgin Mary and the four evangelists are illustrated on the remaining five. Only the apse walls, the crypt, a portal, and a tower remained unfinished when Gaudi died, yet even so, the church exuded obvious magic. The interiors were destroyed by rebels in 1936, including several of Gaudí’s original models, and reconstruction began in 1952.

My tour guide then took me on a virtual tour of the interiors, including all of its grand facades. With a €33 entrance fee, you can ascend high inside the four buildings through a series of escalators and spiral staircases. Here’s the rundown of what I discovered.

Nativity Façade of Sagrada Familia

On the northeastern side, the Nativity Facade or Façana del Naixement is devoted to the birth of Christ, and it was built under Gaudí’s guidance. From the turtle inscriptions at the bottom of each column to the forest sculpture on the Charity Portal girdled with an ass, an ox, and shepherds, each element is influenced by nature. Kings and angel musicians are also included! A chameleon, symbolising transformation, can be found on either side of the Facade. The Façana del Naixement, which faces the sun, is divided into three porticos that represent faith, trust, and generosity. The Nativity facade had further towers built to it around 1930.

The tops of these towers are decked, with mosaics that read “Sanctus, Hosanna in Excelsis, Amen, Alleluia.” When asked why Gaudí spent so much time on the spire heights, he said, “The angels will see them.” Murano glass from Venice is used to construct the mosaic work. These towers also have tubular bells that can play complex music at a high volume. From left to right, three sections of the portal represent hope, charity, and faith. The announcement of the incarnation by the angel Gabriel to Mary can be seen over the blue stained glass window.

A lush cypress tree grows on the roof, providing a storm shelter for the white doves of peace. At La Sagrada Familia, about 30 Spanish plant varieties are cultivated, and locals produce plaster cast faces of historical figures. A sculpture of a reptile devil presenting a bomb to a worker is located in the lower right corner, echoing one of several human temptations.

Passion Façade

The southwestern Passion Facade is a symbol of Christ’s compassion and suffering and was designed to imitate Jesus’ final days and death, filling passersby with grief. The triangular upper part of the Passion Facade resembles a pyramid in shape and is built of 18 bone-shaped columns, forming a giant cross with a crown of thorns. The original building of the Passion Facade was commenced between 1954 and 1978 but was formally completed in 2018 with its four towers and a vast sculpture-festooned gateway, as depicted in the remaining Gaudí illustrations.

Sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs worked his magic on Passion Facade between 1986 – 2006 who instead, of emulating Gaudí, produced distinctive, pointed and bent forms of his own. The sculptures are arranged in an S-shaped pattern, starting with the Last Supper on the bottom left, the crucified Christ in the middle, and funeral scenes on the top right.

Glory Façade

The Glory Façade is the largest of them all, stretching to the central nave and connecting to the basement tunnel by a wide stairway. Façana de la Glòria is devoted to Jesus’ celestial honour, taking Death, Final Judgment, and Glory into account. Seven massive columns dedicated to spiritualism can be found inside Glory Portico. The inscriptions of the seven heavenly virtues are at the top of each column, with the narrative of the 7 deadly sins at the bottom.

Glory Facade, like its counterparts, is capped by four towers, totalling twelve, which represent the Twelve Apostles. Narthex, a form of foyer consisting of 16 lanterns capped by cones, can be found inside. The remaining five towers (still under construction) represent the Virgin Mary and the four evangelists.

Sagrada Familia Museu Gaudí

Museu Gaudí is located beneath the ground level, next to Passion Facade, and will take you through mesmerising stuff about Gaudí’s life. You may view a re-creation of his office as it was at the time he died, as well as samples of his building techniques, geometric designs and blueprints. The eastern side-hall goes to the pane, which masks the artist! The Neo-Gothic Crypt’s Church Mass can only be entered from Carrer de Sardenya, the building’s oldest component, which was mostly built by Gaudí’s predecessor.

Expensive embellishments merge with artistic frames of the Sagrada Familia, serving as a reminder of the Latin Church era. Each detail, whether it is the iron rails that run over the balconies or the massive stairways that connect two floors, exemplifies Gaudí’s attention to detail. The roof is also fortified by exquisite wooded angled pillars that extend out like a forest awning. Even the stained glass windows were designed, with the direction of sunlight streaming through the branches in mind.

When the sun shines through the window, the red, blue, green, and yellow-tinted glass create a fascinating effect. The Sagrada Familia is a site that should be explored, at your leisure; however, do not arrive wearing transparent clothing, caps, or low necklines, as they are not permitted.

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