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| La Sagrada Família |
The Sagrada Família is a one-of-a-kind abode of
God, for its origins, foundation and purpose and if you have visited Barcelona
you could not have missed it. Looming above the city skyline and visible from
almost everywhere this formed the formidable backdrop of the diving events of
the 1992 Summer Olympics. Fruit of the work of genius architect Antoni Gaudí,
the project was promoted by the people for the people and has always been funded through the donations and contributions of
thousands of anonymous individuals over the years. Five generations now
have watched the Basilica progress in Barcelona. Today, more than 135 years
after the laying of the cornerstone, construction continues on the Basilica and
is expected to be completed in 2026.
The cornerstone of
this Basilica was laid on 19 March, the feast of Saint Joseph, in 1882 in a
solemn event presided over by the bishop of Barcelona, Joseph Urquinaona. This
construction began with the crypt under the apse following the neo-Gothic
design of diocesan architect Francisco de Paula del Villary Lozano, the
Temple's first architect. Just a short while later, due to differences of
opinion with the developers, he stepped down and the position was given to
Antoni Gaudí. He promptly scrapped the original
neo-Gothic design plans and exchanged them for a grander vision, unlike any the
world had ever seen.
Back when construction began in
the late 1800s, there were no computers or digital animation to rely on for the
project. In the past, builders had to rely on paper sketches to correctly put
together this massive structure. However, thanks to the invention of computers
in the mid-20th century, the progress sped up rapidly.
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| Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) |
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was a
Spanish architect who created buildings as if they were sculptures mimicking
nature and is said to have been a century ahead of his time. Gaudi
became more and more consumed by the idea of building the greatest church on
the planet and became more and more pious. Ultimately, he abandoned nearly all
of his other projects and concentrated completely on the Sagrada Familia, which
would become his final and main work, his magnum opus. It soon became apparent
to Gaudi that the plans he had for the church were too grandiose for him to
complete, and so created extremely detailed plaster models of the church’s
interior and exterior, which remain the major source and reference for architects
that continue working on the Sagrada Familia to this day. Gaudi dedicated his
entire life to Sagrada Familia, so much so that he even abandoned his home in
Park Güell and started living on the building site of the church until his
tragic death on June 7, 1926, when he was run over by a tram and swept to the
side of the street, confused for a homeless person. Three days later, the
genius architect passed away at the age of 73 and was buried in the crypt of
the unfinished Sagrada Familia. At the time of his death, only 15-25% of the
Sagrada Familia was complete, and to this day, the construction continues, and
with it continues the legacy of the genius architect, who since then, gained
the much-deserved name of “God’s Architect”.
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| The ceiling |
When completed, the Sagrada Familia will have
18 towers. 12 of the towers will represent the apostles, four of them will
represent the evangelists, one will be designated for the Virgin Mary, and of
course the last one, the highest one in the middle, will represent Jesus
Christ. There are three facades at La Sagrada Familia, and the Nativity Facade
was completed by Gaudí himself. Gaudí worked steadily on his masterpiece including the
crypt, the apse walls, a portal, and a tower. Gaudí’s plans also called for 18 spires, eight
of which are complete, as well as numerous towers, chapels, portals, and other
interior features. When built, the tallest spire, which symbolizes Jesus Christ
will reach 170 meters and
will secure Sagrada Família’s place as the world’s largest church building. Despite having a powerful height, Gaudí believed that nothing
man-made should ever be higher than God’s work. It is no coincidence that the
ultimate height will be one meter less than Montjuïc, the mountain in
Barcelona, which is also the city’s highest point.
The Passion Facade and the Glory Facade were
built much later, and when the sculptures of Christ on the crucifix were added
to the Passion Facade by Josep Maria Subirachs, many people argued that they
were too abstract and took away from Gaudí’s style and vision as an artist and
architect. However, its graphic nature
remains true to Gaudí’s original vision of a facade meant to inspire fear. The
Glory facade, expected to be the largest and most impressive of the three,
began construction in 2002.
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| The Interior |
The church’s interior is defined by
columns that stretch like tree branches toward the ceiling. There’s
tons of symbolism in each part of Gaudí’s structure. Aside from the religious
symbols, there are two you should look out for. First, the interior pillars
actually resemble trees, and when you look up at them their shapes constantly
change, as real trees appear to do. There is also a tortoise and turtle holding
up these pillars, representing both the earth and the sea.
Progress on Sagrada Família’s
construction has faced a few setbacks over the past 130+ years. Vandalism in
1936 following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War resulted in the
destruction of many of Gaudí’s models. The sacristy was destroyed in a fire in
2011.
During the early days of La Sagrada Familia’s
construction, Gaudí built a school on the site called the Sagrada Familia
Schools building. The school was built for the children of construction workers
to attend while their fathers spent their days and nights building one of the
most magnificent structures in all of Europe. Designed in 1909, the school is
now the site of an exhibition on the Sagrada Familia. Gaudí seems to have been
a very thoughtful man.
Though Sagrada Família is said to
be Gaudí’s magnum opus, the architect appeared unfazed by its glacial
progress, remarking, “There is no reason to regret that I cannot finish
the church. I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be
conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the
generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated.”
Despite this statement’s apparent acceptance of the inevitable variations on
his design at the hands of the architects who followed him, some have advocated
for leaving the church unfinished out of respect for the original
designer.
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| As a backdrop of the Barcelona Olympics Diving events in 1992 |
If you’re thinking about coming to visit La Sagrada
Familia anytime soon, don’t think twice. The visitors help support the project,
which costs around 25 million Euros annually. Thanks to your contributions when
you visit (as well as those from donors), you can say that you’ve taken part in
the construction of a masterpiece!
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