Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

The grandiose Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a unique attraction, striking in its grandeur and grandeur. Sagada Surname - this is the name of the architectural masterpiece in Spanish. The Sagrada Familia in Spain is the embodiment of the Bible in stone, every detail of it reflects the contents of the pages of scripture.

The history of the construction of the Sagrada Familia

The temple of the Holy Family in Barcelona was conceived back in the century before last, today you can still see cranes near the building, as the work continues. The official start date of construction is March 19, 1882. The architect of the Cathedral of the Holy Family, Francisco del Villar, began to design the first, according to his idea it should have been a neo-gothic style, but the author's ideas were not to be incarnated, as a result of disagreements he had to leave the project. A new page of the history of the Temple of the Holy Family began when the place of the architect was occupied by the ingenious Antonio Gaudi, known for his bizarre and fantastic works. He devoted more than 40 years of his life until his death to the design and construction of an eccentric object. After the death of Gaudi in 1926, different architects worked on the construction of the cathedral, but the foundation was laid by him. Some of the documents and mock-ups suffered during the Civil War in Spain, but this did not stop the construction of the church in accordance with the characteristic author's handwriting.

Architectural features of the temple

According to the design of Antonio Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia is crowned with twelve towers, symbolizing the apostles, and the most central tower is the embodiment of Jesus. Its height is 170 meters, the figure is taken for granted, the highest point of Barcelona - Montjuic mountain is marked with a mark of 171 meters, thus the author wanted to emphasize that the creation of God can not be surpassed by man. Inside the cathedral, the most impressive are the unusual columns, they are made in the form of polyhedra that branch out, approaching the vaults. As Gaudi himself claimed, such columns should appear to be trees, through the branches of which the light of the stars can be seen. The role of stars is performed by the numerous windows located at different levels.

Facades of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Another exclusive feature of the Temple of the Holy Family by Antonio Gaudi is the three story facades depicting the three stages of Jesus' life. Sculptures of people and animals of the facade of the Nativity were executed by the architect in full size. Three portals of this facade symbolize human virtues - Faith, Hope and Mercy. The facade depicting the Passion of Christ is made in a slightly different style, as it was created by another artist, the artist and sculptor Joseph Maria Subarias. Work on the third story - the facade of Glory, dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ, began in 2000 and is currently continuing.

Interesting facts about the Sagrada Familia

  1. The Government of Spain maintains that the approximate construction of the facility will be completed by 2026.
  2. One of the reasons for the protracted construction was the decision, made in 1882, to erect a structure solely on the funds coming from donations.
  3. In November 2010, the Temple was illuminated by Pope Benedict XVI, and then it was officially announced that worship services can be held daily.
  4. Inside the Sagrada Familia there is a museum where people can view models and drawings of Antoni Gaudi's hand.
  5. By the time of the death of Gaudi, the temple was erected only 20%.

Walking around Barcelona you can visit other attractions - the Gothic Quarter and Gaudi Park.