A Glimpse at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain.
By: Sarah McGovern
Birds Eye Veiw of La Sagrada Familia. Image from HowStuffWorks.com
In the Summer of 2015, my mother and I took a mother-daughter trip to Spain and Italy. Our first and my favorite stop was Barcelona, Spain.
I had learned about Spain and, in particular, Barcelona while studying Spanish in high school and middle school. We read and saw pictures of famous landmarks such as La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and Ciutadella Park. While studying these beautiful landmarks in school was great for gaining a general understanding of Barcelona's history, textbooks could only say so much.
When I touched down in Barcelona, I was amazed by how strong the culture there was, and on top of Barcelona's super cool culture, the architecture and food were to die for. Reading a textbook from a desk in New York could never have given me an experience like the one I had when I was in Barcelona. I had fallen in love with Barcelona and, in particular, the architecture and stories behind it.
As my mother and I traveled around the gorgeous city, we made our way up to many rooftop restaurants and hotel pools. While the restaurants were unique, one thing wasn't. The view.
Almost anywhere we were, we could see La Sagrada Familia. The world's tallest religious, that was 170 meters high. And in my opinion, Barcelona's most famous landmark.
Skyline of Barcelona featuring La Sagrada Familia. Image from Shutterstock.
Background
According to Culture Trip, La Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan Antoni Gaudí. The more formally known name of the church is Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. This church attracts more than 2.8 million visitors a year.
Antoni Gaudí. Image from Wikipedia
The church has been under construction for over a century, and according to the Sangria Familia timeline, the construction began in 1882 and is set to be completed in 2026. While it is still under construction, visitors can still tour this stunning work of art. Gaudí knew he was not going to be alive for the church's completion, so he left detailed designs for his successors to follow.
I had been studying that building in my Spanish classes for years, admiring the beauty of it from old textbook pages. The day had finally come for me to see La Sagrada Familia with my own two eyes.
My mother and I took the metro to the Sagrada Familia station and walked the rest of the way there.
The first thing I noticed upon arrival was how much detail the church had. When my guided tour began, I listened well to make sure I got the full experience. I wanted to understand the stories and history behind all the beauty I was seeing.
Façades
There are three façade to La Sagrada Familia, each with its own unique design depicting a different biblical scene.
According to Apartime Barcelona, the first façade was completed in 1935. It depicts a nativity scene dedicated to the birth of Jesus; Gaudí’s style directly influences this side.
Nativity Façade. Image from Flickr
The second façade is the passion façade designed to show the sins of humans, depicting the suffering of Christ during his crucifixion.
Passion Façade. Image from Blog Sagrada Familia.
The third façade is the glory façade, and it is designed to show the road Jesus took to reach God through death, final judgment, and glory. This façade is far from being finished and looks bare.
Glory Façade. Image from Ok Apartment Barcelona.
Trust me when I tell you I could have literally taken the whole day to stare at the two completed façades. The detail on the faces, and everywhere else on the walls was amazing. I saw hundreds of pictures of these walls before, but these pictures did not provide the details justice. No wonder it has taken so many years to complete this church.
Interior
After a while of staring at the façade, my guided tour guide led my group inside the church. As I stepped into the interior of the church, I was at a loss for words.
The inside La Sagrada Familia is honestly one of the prettiest places I have ever seen with my own two eyes. When you walk into the building, you are immediately greeted by a burst of vibrant colors and light. I visited in the afternoon when orange and red light was flooding through the stained glass windows into the church, creating the illusion of rainbow walls and colorful beams. I have never seen anything like it.
Interior of La Sagrada Familia. Image from Flickr.
Along with the stunning color that the stained glass windows bring into the church, these windows also set the mood for what area of the church you are in. According to Barcelona Top Travel Tips, Gaudí dreamed of a symphony of colors with the way light-flooded into the church. In the morning, light streams in from the Nativity façade with soft blues and greens. Later in the day, a sunset like colors of oranges, yellows, and reds flood through the stained glass windows from the west side of the building where the passion façade is. The windows towards the top of the church are transparent, allowing light to illuminate the top of the church. Every little detail was clearly thought through when designing this church, and it shows.
The cathedral is lined with massive grooved pillars. These pillars reach from the floor to the high ceiling, where at the top, these pillars branch out to hold up multiple parts of the ceiling giving the illusion of palm trees.
Ceiling of La Sagrada Familia. Image from Better Vacation.
Gaudí’s designs were always different from the traditional gothic style. According to Context Travel, buttresses were the typical supports for buildings with traditional gothic style architecture. Instead of these buttresses, Gaudí designed pillars to look like tree trunks to give the feeling of being a forest rather than a church. When I was inside the church, I got those exact vibes. These pillars were also designed to symbolize the saints ascending into heaven, and the angels descending to meet them.
Slide show of the Interior of La Sagrada Familia showing the colors and details of the architecture. Images from (in order): Flickr, Flickr, Flickr, Wix.
The stories and reasons behind every single detail of the church make La Sangrdia Familia the special place that it is. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, even if it’s for one day, I would strongly encourage you to visit La Sangrdia Familia to experience the beauty that I was so lucky to enjoy. You can buy your tickets here on the Sagrada Familia Website.