Of course, you already know everything and everything about this cathedral. We read about his story and looked at it from different angles. But in order to somehow surround with information this magnificent virtual flight over Barcelona and the structure (with a flight inside), which you could observe and participate in by clicking on the picture at the beginning of the post, I will also remind you a little information and photos on this matter. Barcelona is an incomprehensible and daring city of Spain, a symbol of Catalan culture and modern art, strangely combining authenticity and neo-Gothic, zealously defending its traditions and boldly challenging the established views ... The capital of Catalonia is perhaps the largest tourist center in Europe, offering visitors not just a wide choice attractions.
From the magnificent Montjuïc Hill with the National Palace, Art Museum, Spanish Village and Magic Fountain to the legendary Barcelona Gaudí, this city has the ability to enchant and dazzle. It was the works of the outstanding Catalan architect, which float like a bright spot over the entire history of art, that turned Barcelona into a mecca for artists and designers from all over the world. The whimsical lanterns on Place Royale and the fantastic images of the estate of Count Guell (now the library of the local university is located on the estate) amaze today no less than on the day of its creation, and the palace near Las Ramblas, Vicens House, Casa Batlló and Casa Mila are on a par with the Park Guell are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. But the main symbol of the largely controversial and still unsolved genius is, of course, the Sagrada Familia, the legendary Sagrada Familia.
“Either a man plays God, creating such masterpieces, or God plays a man, giving birth to such ideas in his head,” said one of the researchers of Antoni Gaudí's work, frozen in amazement near the Sagrada Familia. For the construction of this temple, a free piece of land was allocated, which was located a few kilometers from the city. The temple was designed by the architect Francesco del Villara. The architect's goal was to build a church in the neo-Gothic style, however, he managed to rebuild only the crypt above the apse. After him, in 1891, the head of the project was Antoni Gaudi, who, oddly enough, was never particularly religious, so it still remains a mystery why the construction was entrusted to him. Nevertheless, Antonio Gaudí took on the project with all the zeal and made significant changes to its original concept. At 43, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral became the meaning of his life, the architect devoted all his time to its creation, he even lived in it.
The Sagrada Familia is a daring attempt in the almost already godless XX century to repeat at a new level of consciousness the classical construction sites of the Catholic Middle Ages, such as Milan and Cologne Cathedrals. Gaudi himself understood that he would not be able to live to see his dream come true. Cathedrals have been built for centuries - this is only Sophia in Constantinople and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow was erected in five years, since the whole system worked on them. In Western civil society, where every penny is counted, this does not work. In addition, the Sagrada Familia was originally built only on private donations. And Gaudi was ironic on this score, saying: “My client is in no hurry,” meaning God.
The Sagrada Familia was built on the basis of the Gothic canons, but Gaudi introduced his own unique content into this form. Gaudí is a mixture of mathematician and mystic. He saturated his creation to the limit with Christian symbols, sometimes to the point of paranoia. The cathedral should have three facades (Nativity, Passion and Resurrection) and four towers on each side - 12, according to the number of apostles, and their height should be 100 meters. Currently, only four of them have risen up (one during the life of Gaudi, the other three - in 1926-1936, under the leadership of one of his assistants). There are also planned 4 towers dedicated to evangelists (they are higher than the previous 12), the tower of the Virgin Mary (even higher), and, finally, the central tower of Jesus with a giant cross should be 170 meters high, which is one meter lower than the Montjuic hill - according to Gaudí , one cannot pretend to be higher than God himself intended. The four bell towers of the Evangelists are to be crowned with symbolic figures - a bull (Saint Luke), a winged man (Saint Matthew), an eagle (Saint John) and a lion (Saint Mark). As for the small details of the structure, they are unique - Gaudi did not recognize any classical canons and boldly set his own standards.
The Nativity façade, completed during Gaudí's lifetime, is replete with rather surreal sculptures of the Sagrada Familia, angels, birds, mushrooms, plants and animals. Under the columns of the facade there are figures of turtles, which are symbols of Joseph and Mary. The main portal is made in the form of a palm tree, entwined with ribbons of Jesus' ancestors, and the doors of the inner portico reflect Christian commandments. The second facade of the Passion, the opposite of the first, should, on the contrary, tell about the death of Jesus on the Cross. The sculptor Josep Maria Subirax has been working there since the 50s. His creations are controversial and unpleasant for many, are considered a perversion, but in order to form your own opinion, you need to look at all this with your own eyes ... mired in sin and decadence and that the townspeople need a new place where they can repent. To do this, they chose the most not prestigious area of the then Barcelona - a wasteland used for grazing goats. Construction was interrupted several times due to lack of funds. Actually, in the mid-20s, the funds for the construction of the cathedral ran out, and Gaudi himself lived as a hermit right in the unfinished church. On June 7, 1926, Gaudi was hit by a tram, returning from a construction site and staring at the silhouette of the cathedral. He died after three days of severe agony in a hospital for the poor - none of the doctors and passers-by recognized him as the architect of the Sagrada Familia.
After the death of Gaudi, the cathedral continued to be built for another ten years, until in 1936 the Catalan anarchists, in their godless fury, staged a pogrom in the cathedral, destroying all the models of the architect. Only after Franco's victory in 1940 was the work continued by a group of Barcelona's most respected architects. However, due to the caudillo's not too great sympathy for the Catalans and Barcelona and due to an obvious lack of funds, construction went sluggishly. The scale and originality of Gaudi's idea is simply amazing. According to his project, the cathedral was to be erected in the shape of a cross and consisted of three facades: the Nativity, the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. During the life of the architect, only the first of them was erected.
Each of the facades was supposed to symbolize the most important stages in the life of Jesus Christ: birth and life, betrayal and crucifixion, and the most important - the resurrection from the dead. Therefore, according to the author's intention, the portal of the Resurrection is the most majestic and grandiose. There is in the architecture of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and a lot of other symbols. So each facade should be crowned with four towers, and twelve in total - like the twelve apostles. In the central part, four chapels will be built, symbolizing the four evangelists: Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. In the very center, a place is provided for the construction of the two highest spiers: the tower of Jesus Christ and the bell tower of the Virgin Mary.
Due to the huge number of windows and niches, the surface of the building looks like a delicate lace lace. It seems that it is simply impossible to embody such grace in stone. At the same time, the general view of the cathedral is massive and majestic, and its mysterious aura completes the indelible impression that the Sagrada Familia makes on everyone who sees it. The interior decoration of the cathedral is not inferior in originality and fantasticness to the external facade. Here, the natural motifs of Gaudí's work are especially vividly manifested. The giant columns branching at the top and the vault decorated with unusual molding resemble the crowns of ancient trees propping up the starry sky. Carved stained glass windows resemble unearthly flowers, and spiral staircases resemble huge snails.
The unique acoustics, on which the creator worked for several years, presupposes the presence of a large choir. In addition, Gaudi provided space for thirty thousand worshipers in the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. While all these ideas have not yet been implemented, but perhaps in a couple of decades the temple will still be completed, and its beauty will finally acquire a complete and perfect look. After visiting the Sagrada Familia, there is a feeling of an unsolved mystery. As if the curtain had risen and the corner of this secret is already visible, a little more and everything will become clear and obvious ... but no. All the most important thing remains beyond understanding, we will never be able to fully understand Gaudí's ingenious plan, just as we will never know how the Sagrada Familia would have turned out if the architect had lived to see its completion
A clear revival at the construction site took place in the 1980s. Now the work is headed by Jordi Bonet. According to plans, by 2026, i.e. by the centenary of the architect's death, construction will be completed. But there is another opinion. More than 400 Spanish cultural figures called for work to stop in 2008. In their opinion, the builders “betrayed the spirit of Gaudí,” that the cathedral under construction was just a caricature of an ingenious idea. The problem is that Gaudí always improvised along the way, flexibly changing his original intentions. Therefore, he himself was present at the site. Nowadays, the Sagrada Familia cannot be called the creation of Gaudi - too much individual and new was introduced by his followers, take the same sculptor Subirax. However, if you remember the history of the construction of the great temples of the Middle Ages, then there is nothing surprising in this - the Romanesque style was improved by the Gothic, and then they also added facades with bell towers in the Baroque style. Cathedrals, where one original style is sustained, can be counted on one hand.
Gaudí devoted most of his life to the creation of this most visited and famous symbol of Barcelona, but this was not enough: the completion of the construction of the grandiose "temple of the new age" is expected only by 2030, when one of the facades and the central bell tower will finally be completed. Greatness and amazing allegoricality are the main characteristics of this unique masterpiece. The architect dreamed of creating a building that would fully convey the allegory of the Nativity of Christ, and there is hardly a critic who will say that he did not succeed. The building surprisingly combines three facades: the western facade, one of the most famous, reveals to us the allegorical embodiment of Christmas, the eastern one of Passion, the southern one of Death and Ascension. The most valuable from the point of view of art is the central facade of the Temple of the Atonement of Sins (or Atonement of the Sagrada Familia), also known as the Nativity Facade, which connects the amazing four towers, thanks to its unusual spindle shape, reminiscent of sand castles and absolutely original ornaments and silhouettes.
Thanks to the stylistic solution, which received the name of the neo-Gothic direction, it seems as if the towers rise from a common, solid rock base, "breaking out" from the base to the height. Sculptural groups and unusual bas-reliefs are the main means of expressing the conceptual idea, but the incredibly large-scale project of this cathedral was embodied not only in bizarre images. The Tower of Christ, crowned with a bell tower, reaches about 170 meters in height, and the lower church, largely hidden behind magnificent facades, hides magnificent arches, the outlines of which are not repeated anywhere in the world and magnificent grotesque stained glass windows. A grotesque embodiment of religious fanaticism and by far the most original religious building in the world, the Sagrada Familia remains one of the most controversial architectural masterpieces today. Once completed, the Cathedral will be surmounted by eighteen towers in the same whimsical spindle style.
More than two million people visit the cathedral every year, and the Sagrada Familia rivals Madrid's Prado Museum in popularity. The age-old Spanish-Catalan "el clásico" continues here as well.
Construction stages.
The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia is the name of this attraction. Tourists and locals alike call it "Sagrada Familia". Translated from Catalan, it means "holy family", to which the entire architectural ensemble is dedicated. The originality of solutions, symbolism, many small details that create a single whole - all this prompts to admire it from the outside, but it makes a much greater impression on the inside.
Perhaps the excursion would not have been so impressive if it were not for the Russian-language audio guide, which will tell you a huge amount of incredibly interesting information about the history of creation and the symbols that are woven into it by the genius of Antoni Gaudi.
By 2026, when it is planned to complete construction work, it should become the main symbol of Catalonia.
History of creation
The idea of creation is not fraught with any mystery. In 1874, a young priest named Magnane came to the wealthy bookseller J. Bocabelle and told about his dream - to build a temple dedicated to the Holy Family. Bokabelle liked the idea - and immediately began to raise funds for its construction.
The date of the beginning of construction is March 19, 1882, when the first stone of the church was laid.
Initially, Francisco de Paulo del Villar was appointed the architect, but he soon left the project, and instead of him they invited the relatively young Antonio Gaudi, who, nevertheless, had already managed to show his originality and talent. At first he continued construction according to the design of his predecessor, but in 1889, when a rather large donation was received, the architect decides to remodel it, changing the structure and shape of the building.
According to the plan, the cathedral should consist of 18 towers, each of which symbolizes the apostles, evangelists, Mary and (the central tower with the cross) Jesus. To date, only 8 of them have been built.
View from aboveThe author was not destined to wait for the completion of his project: in 1926 he died tragically. The construction was continued by his students, then - by his followers. Everyone tried to follow the original idea, but the difference is still noticeable. Nowadays, modern computer technologies are also involved in the design, which you can hear about during an excursion with a Russian-language audio guide.
You can read more about the history of the Sagrada Familia and the design of its facades on Wikipedia. It will be much more interesting for a tourist to learn about the most interesting facts.
Today, there is also a house-museum, where you will be told about the life of the great architect and the process of building the church.
It is best to leave a visit for the morning hours - at this time there are fewer people here, and the morning lighting will allow you to better see its beauty. And be sure to take advantage of one of the two elevators in the towers: a bird's eye view of Barcelona is a delightful sight!
External facades of the temple
The first thing that a tourist usually sees when exiting the metro or from the bus window is one of the facades of the Sagrada Familia. Each of them represents scenes from the life of Christ:
The facade of the Nativity was built during Gaudí's lifetime. It is located on the other side of the place where the entrance to the cathedral and ticket offices are now located. Three portals stand out in it: Faith, Hope and Mercy. Each of them is dedicated to the earthly life of Christ. In the portal of Hope, you can see scenes of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph, the flight to Egypt and the beating of babies. Above you can see the symbolic and its top symbolically depicts Mount Montserrat with the inscription "Save us". The right portal of Faith contains sculptural paintings "Meeting of Elizabeth with the Mother of God", "Jesus and the Pharisees", "Introduction to the Temple" and "Jesus Working in the Carpenter's Workshop". Above the central portal, under the Christmas star, there are sculptural groups "The Birth of Jesus" and "Adoration of the Shepherds and Magi", and above them - the figures of trumpeting angels announcing the birth of Christ, scenes of the Annunciation and the Wedding of the Holy Virgin, etc. High above the portal rises the symbolizing church and her flock, a cypress tree crowned with a cross, surrounded by birds.
The Passion façade was started later than the Nativity façade, as Gaudí was afraid to frighten people with the scenes depicted on it. This façade is directed towards the West, where the sun sets, and this is no coincidence. With the rising of the sun, according to the idea of Gaudi, it comes to the world, with his sunset the story of passions begins. On the western side of the temple, all the sculptures are large enough, so you can easily find scenes from the last days of Jesus' life. Here he is carrying his cross, his crucifix is now located right above the main entrance, and on the sides you can see scenes of his burial. More information about the symbols that are located on this facade can be found on this site or on.
The third facade - the facade of Glory is located at the end of the building. It has not yet been built, so it is now not possible to see its photographs. According to the sketch that you can see above, the whole history of mankind from Adam and Eve to the Second Coming will be depicted here.
The interior of the temple
Many tourists do not find time to visit inside. And in vain, because inside it makes an even greater impression than outside. Particularly impressive are the columns that support the dome and the ceiling, which simply amazes with its design.
Play of light
An incredible play of light adds color to the interior on a sunny day. The renowned master of light work has designed the cathedral in such a way that it practically does not need artificial light. One that penetrates through carefully thought-out light windows is sufficient.
Stained-glass windows The Russian-language audio guide, which you will receive at the entrance, will tell you how the stained-glass windows are arranged and the symbolism of the interior decoration. You can see more photos on the official website, and you can take a walk here. Although, of course, 360 ° projection does not convey even a tenth of what you see with your own eyes.
- There is a mercy portal on the facade of "Nativity". On it you can see the faces, the projections of which were filmed. from the masks of the real deceased inhabitants of Barcelona and the builders of the church. Thus, I wanted to perpetuate their memory.
- Construction will take longer (started in 1882) than the construction of the Egyptian pyramids, which "erected" in just 20 years. It is planned that the work will be completed in 2026, but according to other forecasts, construction will be completed only by 2040.
- Gaudi did not like right angles and lines due to their unnaturalness, therefore, "natural" clues were used in the design. If you look closely at the building, you can draw parallels with a wet sand castle.
- Symbolism is visible in every square meter of this place. The internal structure is supported by large pillars that look like trees... Each pillar has a turtle at its base to show the balance between land and sea.
- Gaudí believed that no human structure should be higher in height than that created by God. So the height of the Sagrada Familia is 560 metro v. It is 1 meter below the top of the Montjuic hill, which rises above the city.
- In 1936, a group of anarchists arranged crypt fire and destroyed the workshop with plans and models. Fortunately, a small part of them were saved.
- Built in such a place that it can be seen from anywhere in the city. The glass mosaic in its upper part is designed in such a way that the reflected light of the sun or moon serves beacon for sailors.
- The room where the museum is now located used to be school... In 1909, the children of builders studied there, while they built this greatest creation day and night.
- 12 of the future 18 towers are dedicated to the apostles, one for the Virgin Mary and the central (highest) to Jesus Christ.
- At the base of the building there is a prayer room, where buried great architect.
- Funding for the construction mostly comes from donations and admission fees. During the year, the Sagrada Familia is visited by about 3 million tourists, which gives an opportunity for about 25 million euros for its construction annually.
- In order for the project to be completed - some houses need to be demolished opposite the main entrance to the building. Now the main entrance is considered the facade of the Nativity, but it should be opposite the altar. In order to make an entrance there, it is necessary to clear the area on which the houses stand and move the street. It is not yet known whether this project will be implemented.
- Shortly before the construction, when Josep Bocabella had just started collecting money for the construction and was pondering who to invite to develop the project, one of his relatives told him: "A man with blue eyes will build it!" The bookseller was surprised, however, as the legend says, he began to look for a blue-eyed architect ( Gaudi had blue eyes).
- The temple, which has long been considered by the people the most important in Barcelona, was consecrated only in November 2010.
- From the start until now construction is carried out only with donations from individuals Is one of the main reasons why it took so many years to build.
- Only in 2006 the attraction was visited 2.26 million tourists, which puts it on a par with such famous monuments of Spain as the Alhambra Palace and the Prado Museum.
If you want to delve into the symbolism and secrets of the Sagrada Familia, then order inexpensive ones, on which local guides will reveal this great architectural ensemble to you in full. Inside the temple, the work of guides is officially prohibited, so all such excursions take place outside the building. After it, you will be able to "finish off" the program by examining the building from the inside. How to get there by public transport
How to get from the airport
If you have a connection in Barcelona and want to see its main attraction, then you can use the special metro line (L9), which connects the airport with the northern part of the city.
- You need to buy a ticket (4.50 € one way) for the L9 metro line, which is located near every terminal at the airport. Trains run every 7 minutes.
- Continue to Collblanc station (penultimate), where you have to pay separately for the metro (2 euros one way) change to the L5 line towards Vall d "Hebron and get off at Sagrada Familia station.
The total travel time is about 30-35 minutes (one way). The round trip will cost 13 € / person.
For companies of 4 people or more, it makes sense to order. By car, you will reach your destination in 25 minutes (with the same taxi driver and return back). Keep in mind that it will take you about an hour and a half to inspect the inside. Therefore, there must be a reserve of at least 5 hours between flights.
Types of tickets and their purchase
| A type | What is included in the price | Price | |
| Panoramic |
|
34€ | |
| The life and work of Gaudi |
Useful Tips
| ||
Everyone who has already been to Barcelona or is just dreaming of going there immediately draws some images in their heads, some of them have a picture of the Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí in their minds, and it is not surprising, because this is almost the main attraction of the whole country.
But do tourists know everything about this building? But around the cathedral there are various legends and stories that are worth learning before traveling to Spain.
In contact with
Where is the Sagrada Familia
In the very heart of Barcelona, there is a majestic temple that cannot be overlooked - this is the very temple of Antoni Gaudí. It is often called the Sagrada Familia or Sagrada Familia.
The cathedral is located in the Eixample district - one of the most densely populated areas of the city, where more than 250 thousand people live. Although, when they began to build the cathedral, it was located more than seven kilometers from Barcelona, the city has since increased and changed beyond recognition.
You can even get to the main attraction from the airport. To do this, take the metro, first take the L9 line, then change to L5, where you can find the station of the same name - Sagrada Familia. It will take about 30-40 minutes to get there, it will not take long, so even during a transplant, you can have time to see such beauty. You can look at the outer cladding, or you can book an excursion and enjoy the temple from the inside, this will help you delve into the history of the architect's life and the history of the creation of such a chic project.
Church of the Sagrada Familia - construction history
The Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudí is one of the few temples that continue to be built to this day. Gaudí envisioned that the cathedral would be the most magnificent building in the whole world, combining many architectural styles.
Antonio Gaudi - was born on June 25, 1852, in Reus, (Spain); died on June 10, 1926 in Barcelona, (Spain)
People such as Viollet le Duc and John Ruskin influenced Antonio's work, and he adopted their ideas about architectural styles. But while learning from others, the young architect from Reus has always dreamed of creating something unusual, which the world has not yet seen. Decorating the city with his buildings, Gaudí devoted more than 40 years of his life to only one of his projects - the Atonement Church of the Sagrada Familia.
Construction history: before Gaudi's death
The construction of the cathedral began in 1883. The first architect was Francisco de Villar, who decided to build a Catholic church in the neo-Gothic style that was fashionable for that time. But the author constantly quarreled with the church council on various occasions, they could not select materials, recruit a group, and so on. Therefore, eight years later, a master of his craft, the famous Gaudi, began to work. The maestro immediately decided that he would gradually move away from the Gothic and Neo-Gothic styles, although the foundation had already been laid in this style. Antonio decided to finish the project in his own style, incomparable with anything.
The architect constantly supervised the construction of the Sagrada, believing that this was the main goal of his life. For some time the author even lived in a church, in a small room. Until the end, he did not have a clear diagram of the cathedral; in the course of construction, he added or removed some details. Because of this, construction was often stopped, because the architect ceased to like the part built.
Gaudí devoted all his time to the construction of the cathedral, funding decreased, he even asked for money from local residents, walking down the street. The cathedral took all the strength and time from the architect, but still, until the end of his life, he was faithful to his work. Antonio Gaudi's life was cut short in 1926 when he was hit by a tram. He was buried on the territory of the Sagrada Familia, which he loved so much.
Construction history: after the death of Gaudi
For a long time, the authorities could not decide whether to continue the construction of the Sagrada Familia, because the idea was very difficult, not every architect could cope with it. In the original plan, the maestro wanted to build three facades with 4 high spiers. There would be 12 towers in total, symbolizing the 12 apostles. The largest spire should be located in the center - the sign of Jesus Christ. This spire is surrounded by four more hills with the symbols of an eagle, a calf, an angel and a lion, that is, these would be symbols of the Evangelists.
Gaudí was a very religious person, he wanted the cathedral to tell stories from the Bible. Three facades would tell about "Christmas", "Passion of Christ" and "Ascension". But during his lifetime he managed to build only "Christmas" and four towers.
After 1926, the construction management passed to Gaudi's student, Domenec Sugranes, who had previously worked with a teacher for more than 20 years. After his death, Antonio left almost no drawings and diagrams that would help complete the construction of the planned facades. But his colleague knew a little about the architect's goals and tried to fulfill them. He completed the construction of the three bell towers of the Nativity façade. He worked on the Sugranes project until 1938. And after that, the construction was stopped due to wars and disorder in the country. Construction continued only in 1952.
Two years later, construction began on the second facade of the Passion of Christ, based on a few drawings of Gaudí. By 1961, a crypt was built, where a museum was immediately opened, telling about the history of the building. By 1977, four towers were built on the second facade, the architects began to decorate the interior and exterior.
Note: work on the cathedral continues to this day. Now a third facade is being erected, new towers are being completed, the interior decoration is being completed. The Sagrada Familia is expected to be completed by 2026.
Antonio Gaudi Sagrada Familia - temple architecture
The main brainchild of Gaudí was compared to anything. It was called the organ, the heart of Spain, the anthill and even the house of God.
The creator thought through every detail to the smallest detail, every symbol on the facade means something, so everyone says that you can look at the Sagrada Familia for hours, while each time you notice new details. The interior decoration also makes you amazed, although the cathedral is open to the public, you cannot get into all of its parts.
Outdoor decoration
In his youth, Gaudi was inspired by nature, which greatly influenced him. All his life he believed that a person could not build anything more beautiful than nature. But he tried to make all his buildings, drawing inspiration from the world around him. Because of this, the height of the cathedral was supposed to reach 170 meters, which is several meters below the highest hill in Barcelona.
The architect carefully selected the colors for the facade, trying to make the temple a natural “mountain” in the middle of the city. And the holes on the towers were supposed to disperse the wind, which whistled and played musically for all visitors.
The Sagrada is built in the shape of a Latin cross, has three facades and 12 towers. The various statues and reliefs on the façade were handpicked by Gaudí himself, although many details were added after his death. On the facade you can see fruits, human faces, sculptures of saints and much more. If you correctly read all the symbols on the temple, then you can study some scenes from the Bible and find out detailed information about the apostles.
Interior decoration
The details inside the cathedral are as significant as the symbols on the façade. Each part tells a separate story from the life of Christ. The author avoided straight lines. Taking inspiration from geometry, he used shapes such as ellipse, helicoid, conoid, and more. The architect tried to play with light as much as possible.
The stained glass windows that appeared after his death add to the magic of the cathedral. And the light enters the room through numerous openings. Since 2010, services have been held in the cathedral, although tourists are also allowed to see this masterpiece. Inside, Antonio planned to put a lot of columns that were supposed to support the entire structure, but at the same time they should not weigh down the interior.
And so it happened, all the columns are unusual, as if they were artificial trees, between the crowns of which light seeps through. In the Sagrada Familia in Catalonia, you can find symbols of stars, grapes, crosses and faces of people - all the details make up one magical picture.
It is worth noting: many believe that modern architects are deviating from the canon of Gaudi, adding their own ideas and details, but on the whole the composition looks harmonious and unusual, as the great Antoni Gaudi intended.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - interesting facts
There are often rumors and legends around the Sagrada Familia, so everyone would like to know interesting facts about this creation of the genius of Gaudí:
- Every year, more than three million people visit this Temple, and they try to invest all the money from ticket sales in the construction of the Sagrada, because colossal funds are spent on it.
- There is a legend that the Atonement Church of the Sagrada Familia is not being completed on purpose, because if this happens, then Spain will collapse, but this is just a myth.
- Construction was stopped several times, the last time it happened in 2008, when a group of art critics admitted that the restoration and continuation of work only harm the temple.
- Some tourists are trying to penetrate the still unfinished facades, although this is dangerous, because after all, this is an active construction site.
- Despite the continued construction, in 2010 the Pope consecrated the temple and allowed the services to be conducted.
- The very idea of building a magnificent temple belonged to the book dealer - Bocabella, who, after seeing the Cathedral of St. Peter in the Vatican, decided to build an even more magnificent Cathedral in his homeland.
- The cathedral is planned to be completed only in 2026, which means that it has been under construction for 144 years. This is several years more than construction.
- Gaudi himself initially knew that he would not have time to complete his creation, although he never cared how many years and efforts it would take.
- In addition to the architect himself, the person who came up with this idea - Josep Maria Bocabella, is also buried in the Sagrada.
- Gaudí worried about the workers; he even erected a school for their children right on the territory of the cathedral. It was built in 1909 and had several classrooms for children. But the school had to be removed in 2002, when the territory was needed for construction.
The Sagrada Familia in Spain is undoubtedly the main attraction of Barcelona, around which many legends go. Some argue that the spirit of Gaudí still haunts here, controlling the construction.
During the entire construction period, they tried to build the cathedral according to the original idea of the author, but each time it was more difficult to bring it to life, even in the modern world it is problematic to get so many resources.
Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona - beautiful photos
Of course, all postcards, magnets, T-shirts and other souvenirs in Spain often depict this particular attraction. It will not be difficult to make a beautiful shot, because this place is beautiful in any weather, at any time of the year. There are especially many tourists here in the summer, so be prepared for photographs in which there will be 100 people besides you.
If you want to take a rare shot without people, then come at dawn or travel during the low season, although Barcelona is a popular destination all year round.
Winter shots are rarely classic for us, because snow is rare here, but you can take a photo of the cathedral with flowers even in winter.
In Barcelona, there is a building that has been erected with minor interruptions for almost 128 years, but after all, it all comes to an end, right?) This is the Sagrada Familia, the majestic Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia
Laid down in 1882, the grandiose Sagrada Familia - Sagrada Familia in Spanish - gradually takes on the appearance of a completed creation. The way it was conceived by one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, Antoni Gaudí ... At the moment, it is the most outstanding landmark in Barcelona
“Either a man plays God, creating such masterpieces, or God plays a man, giving birth to such ideas in his head,” said one of the researchers of Antoni Gaudí's work, frozen in amazement near the Sagrada Familia. The most famous temple in Spain is truly amazing. It rises above Barcelona, like a huge cave with bell towers in the form of stalactites and deep grottoes that carry you inside a mysterious temple
View of the cathedral towers from the other side
On March 19, 1882, on the outskirts of Barcelona, in the modest quarter of Barrio del Poblet, all the most eminent people of the city gathered. The Bishop of Barcelona, in his festive vestments, spoke slowly and solemnly. "... May sleeping hearts wake up, may faith be exalted, may mercy prevail, may God have mercy on this country ..."
The original project was owned by Francesco del Villar. But a year later, he was replaced by Antoni Gaudi, who completely changed the design of the cathedral, which had already begun to be built. Del Villar planned to build a church in the neo-Gothic style, but managed to build only a crypt under the apse
“The traditional Gothic system is a dead system. It can be compared to a human being whose skeleton, instead of harmoniously holding various parts of the body, was crushed by the flesh that it supported, and needed supports of any kind, ”wrote Gaudi. As a result, the familiar Gothic pointed arches in Gaudí's creation became parabolic, buttresses were replaced by internal ledges that perform the same function, but more graceful, and inclined columns branched out like the crown of a tree - this way the load is better distributed. To further emphasize the lightness and vertical aspiration of the temple, Gaudí gave the inner columns a spiral shape, forcing them to "strive higher and higher, to feel the desire to live their own life." “It will be like a forest. Soft light will pour through the window openings at different heights, and it will seem to you that the stars are shining, ”wrote the architect
Antonio Gaudi's plan was grandiose. The height of the finished cathedral - 170 meters - will be only one meter less than the height of the highest mountain in Barcelona. So Gaudi wanted to emphasize that the creation of man cannot be higher than that created by God. The main doors of the Passion facade reproduce words from the Bible in various languages, including Catalan
Gaudi was guided by the masterpieces of nature in his projects before. So the Sagrada Familia strives to be similar to the system of peaks and grottoes. Inside the building, the vault is supported by very unusual columns. They consist of polygons that change their shape upward, and most of all resemble trees. “It will be like a forest. Soft light will pour through the window openings at different heights, and it will seem to you that the stars are shining, ”- this is how Gaudi saw the interior of the cathedral
Cathedral ceiling from a different angle
Very unconventional for temple architecture. The similarity with the Catholic Church is limited to the fact that in the plan it has a cross. The rest is a figment of the imagination of an eccentric architect who sought to create a visual image of faith, a “Bible in stone”. The entire appearance of the cathedral and every detail of it are therefore symbolic. 18 towers should rise above the cathedral building. 12 of them symbolize the apostles, 4 taller ones - four evangelists, the tallest - Jesus Christ. Statues, carvings, Latin inscriptions - all serve the complex Catholic symbolism of the cathedral
Each of the three facades of the Sagrada Familia is dedicated to one of the three central themes of the earthly life of Christ: "Christmas", "The Passion of Christ" and "Resurrection"
The sculptural groups of the Nativity façade are life-sized by Gaudí. For the scene of the beating of infants, the architect made plaster casts of stillborn children. To make an impression of an animal, he first put it to sleep with the help of chloroform.
The second facade - "The Passion of Christ" - was made by the Spanish sculptor and artist - Joseph Maria Subiraches, and is distinguished by wayward emaciated figures of people, including sculptures depicting the scourging and crucifixion of Christ
Here you can see a piece of the third, not yet built, facade - Resurrection. In the construction of the cathedral there is a huge amount of all kinds of symbols. In particular, the bunches of grapes, which are visible on the small towers on the left, symbolize Holy Communion.
The design of facades often contains symbolism of numbers, for example, here the sum by rows, columns and diagonals gives the number 33 - the number of years of Christ's life
Not only the dimensions of the planned cathedral are impressive, but also the complicated detailing. Gaudí was willing to calculate the weight of each stone in the cathedral. For several years, Antoni Gaudí devoted only to the study of acoustics in order to create a perfect bell system. They must be propelled by the wind. Inside the building, acoustics with an echo effect suggest a large choir. In the photo - the "stomach" of one of the towers of the cathedral)
As usual, the architect did not paint a detailed design of the building, leaving room for improvisation. Dedicating himself entirely to the cathedral, Gaudi lived for many years on its construction site, constantly supervising the construction, again and again embodying fresh ideas in construction. An enthusiastic, completely immersed architect inevitably seemed strange
Inside the cathedral there is a museum room, where Gaudi's drawings and ideas and various models are exhibited (what has survived; much was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War)
The cathedral chandelier project by Gaudí. What Gaudi was born out of his head and embodied in small drawings and layouts can now be reproduced only with the help of computer modeling and a long calculation of all the nuances
A constant obstacle to the construction was the lack of funds: such a grandiose project was built exclusively on donations from the inhabitants of Barcelona. First of all, due to lack of funds, the cathedral became long-term construction. Only quite recently, funds from investors, including foreign ones, were attracted to the construction. Gaudí, however, when asked about the timing of the construction, he calmly answered: “My customer is in no hurry.”
This is how the building survived the architect. Already a 74-year-old man, Antonio Gaudi died under the wheels of a tram near the cathedral under construction
After the death of Gaudi, the construction was continued by his students, then by the students of the students. During the Spanish Civil War, anarchists destroyed Gaudí's blueprints. After that, the construction was suspended again, and there were even disputes over whether it was worth continuing? As a result, the famous smoothness of Gaudí's lines gave way to the chopped and rough forms of our contemporary Subirax, who today leads the work on the Temple. This discrepancy in styles clearly does not add harmony to the whole complex as a whole. The Sagrada Familia already evokes conflicting feelings, and the events of November 28, 2000 added to the mystery of Barcelona's long-term construction. On this day, the ceremony of consecration of the nascent Temple was planned. But the ceremony was overshadowed. Early in the morning of the same day, a hurricane began in the city, and the top crowning one of the arches of the window opening fell onto the platform of the Sagrada Familia with an eerie roar. Perhaps in any other city it would have been perceived as a bad sign, but not in Barcelona. Consecration still took place. And the Catalans, on whose money the construction of the Sagrada Familia began and continues, cannot wait until the Temple is finished. It is now again habitually surrounded by cranes, but open to the public. Completion is planned for 2026.
In continuation, visit the selection 15, where you will learn a lot of interesting things.
The Church of the Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) is one of the most famous temples in the world. It is more correct to call the building - the Atonement Church of the Sagrada Familia. Some kind of completely unearthly building, like many of Gaudi's creations, however ...
The towers of the temple can be seen from many points of the city. The temple flickering among the trees evokes the feeling of falling into another world.
The unique building was founded in 1882 and is still being built with private donations. In recent years, work has been going much faster, as large investors have joined.
The first project of the Sagrada Familia was designed by the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. At the end of 1883, Antoni Gaudi was invited to lead the work, significantly changing the original idea.
The completed Nativity façade is a true masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí. This is the only façade finished by a great master. The sculptural groups are carved in life size with extraordinary craftsmanship. To get the most natural images for the scene of the beating of babies, Antoni Gaudi even made casts of dead babies.
After the death of Gaudi, the construction of the cathedral was continued by his students, then by the students of the students. During the Spanish Civil War, Antoni Gaudi's blueprints were destroyed. The construction was stopped, for a long time there were disputes about the expediency of continuing construction.
The second facade of the Cathedral of the Passion of Christ was made by the Spanish sculptor and artist Joseph Maria Subiraches, in a cubic style and radically different from the style of Gaudi, thus emphasizing that it is impossible to create a semblance of an already created masterpiece. Although, we must pay tribute to the sculptor - he also created, undoubtedly, a very significant work.
Subiraches is currently leading the construction of the third façade.
The grapes on the small towers to the left of the façade under construction symbolize Holy Communion. In the decor of the Sagrada Familia, in general, there is a lot of all kinds of symbolism, you can even see numerology.
The completed cathedral will have 18 towers. 12 of them symbolize the apostles, 4 higher ones - the four evangelists. The highest central tower is the symbol of Jesus Christ.
So much has been said and written about the Sagrada Familia Cathedral that, perhaps, it would be possible to keep a separate blog about the construction progress. I give someone an idea ...
The Sagrada Familia is not so large in area, but you can't get around it quickly, you forget about real time. I started walking around the temple in the rain, with drops on the glass of the camera lens, and finished under the bright sun ...
About 3 million tourists from all over the world come to the Sagrada Familia every year. Around the cathedral there is a huge queue of people wishing to get inside.
Undoubtedly, the Sagrada Familia is the most famous landmark of Barcelona and one of the most famous landmarks on the planet, being created before our eyes.
There are souvenir shops near the temple. All proceeds from the shops go to the cathedral construction fund.
Here, in a glass window, you can see the exact model of the Atonement Church of the Sagrada Familia.
I bought Toledo gold (traditional Spanish jewelry) at the store. Hopefully my appearance in the new earrings will accelerate the completion of construction, which is now expected in 2026.
