The Sagrada Familia was Antonia Gaudí's main work and life. But from the very beginning, the temple behaved like a demanding host. The Catalan was not only responsible for the design and construction, but also often acted as a fundraiser.
The pace of construction from 1882 to 1918 was by no means fast. The construction of the temple was conceived not only as an intermediary structure between heaven and sinful earth, but also as a field for the struggle of feelings.
The history of the creation of the cathedral
The founder of the cathedral, José Maria Bocabella, was a bookseller, a Catholic and an extraordinary person. He repeatedly visited Rome and considered the temple of Loreto a model of the church. Bocabella often visited Montserrat and, as legend has it, the idea to build the Sagrada Familia came to him during his stay in the monastery, looking at the image of the Holy Family. He founded an association that raised funds for the construction of the Sagrada Familia (Catalan. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia).
In 1881, the association received a parcel of land on the outskirts of the city from the city. Initially, it was planned to build a not very huge temple due to not too large financial resources. During discussions about the future building, the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano offered to work on the project free of charge. And a year later, in March, on St. Joseph's Day, the first stone was laid. At first, the construction was active and successful. But then the relationship between Villar and the church council began to deteriorate and ended in an ugly quarrel. After which it became clear that his further leadership in the construction of the temple was simply unacceptable. And then, as the legend tells, Bokabelya's decision came in a dream. Allegedly, Jose dreamed of a young architect who would soon save the Sagrada Familia. And you can recognize him by his blue eyes. A few days later, on his way to the office of Martorel's architectural consultant, Bocabella met Gaudí. At that moment, he immediately realized that this was the one he needed. Later, Gaudi, as the "chosen one", received complete freedom in working on the cathedral.
In turn, this order instantly ranked the young 31st architect among the leading architects of Barcelona. Antonio Gaudi created a plaster project, according to which it was planned to build a cathedral 110 meters long and 45 meters high. With four bell towers - according to the number of evangelists and twelve towers - according to the number of apostles. The project included the construction of three facades that told about different episodes of the life of Christ - "Christmas", "The Passion of Christ" and "Resurrection". The facades were going to be decorated with huge panels and reliefs on related topics. church council approved the layout, and the architect began to implement it.
Years passed, workers changed, assistants to Antonio Gaudi, the construction site became the unofficial faculty of the architectural school. The most zealous students came here in the evenings to listen to the respected Don Antonio. And when the Sagrada Familia finally began to take on a tangible shape, it was so impressive that the fame of the extraordinary idea of the master - the Catalan scattered throughout the earth. To look at it, and at the same time to take part in the grandiose project came from everywhere. King Alfonso came to watch the construction site, with whom Gaudi spoke exclusively in Catalan, which caused discontent of the monarch. Infanta Isabella also visited here. In addition to her, the Sagrada Familia was also visited by Cardinal Ragonesi, Nuncio of the Pope in Spain, Albert Schweitzer.
Construction work either stopped, then resumed again. Not the last role in stopping the construction was played by financial resources. But at least the temple Sagrada Familia was the main brainchild of Gaudi, in parallel with him, he carried out other projects. But initially the architect promised to finish the cathedral in 18 years. But, alas, it turned out not to be the case, construction continues to this day.
The difficult wartime made its negative contribution. Architects were losing interest in Gaudí. He himself had to go through a lot: the death of close friends, deteriorating health, mental crisis.
Sagrada Familia Cathedral was the main work and life of Antonia Gaudí. But from the very beginning, the temple behaved like a demanding host. The Catalan was not only responsible for the design and construction, but also often acted as a fundraiser. The pace of construction from 1882 to 1918 was by no means fast. The construction of the temple was conceived not only as an intermediary structure between heaven and sinful earth, but also as a field for the struggle of feelings.
Gaudí has always focused in projects on natural masterpieces. So, inside the Sagrada Familia, the vault is supported by very unusual columns resembling the shape of trees.
Gaudi perfectly understood the psychology of impact and the importance of sound in church buildings. He spent years experimenting with the elongated shape of bells. Because the architect designed the structure so that it could function as big organ. It was assumed that the wind would pass through the openings of the towers and this would create a real choir. Gaudí's idea was also to illuminate the highest (170 m.) central tower with floodlights from twelve towers. Then the cross crowning the tower will radiate light, thereby embodying the symbol of the main postulate of Christ: "I am the Light of the World." But to the greatest regret, this original decision of the master has not yet been translated into reality.
Gaudi himself understood that his life would not be enough to complete his plan. Shortly before his death, he made the remark that "it takes centuries to complete grandiose churches" and cited St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome, Cologne and Reims as examples.
Today, not only world-famous architects are involved in the construction of the temple, but also every tourist visiting the monument. Because the money he pays for sightseeing goes to the building fund. Thus, the sale of entrance tickets and souvenirs annually brings about 10 million euros to the fund of the temple. Experts have calculated that if things continue like this, the construction of the cathedral could be completed in 2022.
How to get there?
Getting to the Sagrada Fimilia is very easy. The metro station of the same name Sagrada Família is very close, the L5 branch passes through it.
Opening hours of the Sagrada Familia:
Entrance fees Sagrada Familia
The most complete ticket includes the Cathedral, towers, museum, crypt and an audio guide in Russian.
Helpful Hints
- AT weekdays fewer people
- For good photos without tourists, arrive before 8 am
- On the facade of the Passion of Christ there is a cryptogram, the age of Christ is written on it
- In the evening, light falls beautifully through the stained-glass windows of the Passion Façade. You can take photos.
- Visit the bell towers of the Nativity façade.
Expiatory Cathedral of the Holy Family (cat. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia), often called the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia) - famous church in Barcelona, designed by the famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi. The temple is located in the Eixample district, its construction began in 1882 and has not yet been completed.
The first draft of the cathedral was developed by the architect Francisco del Villar (cat. Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano), in whose place at the end of 1883 A. Gaudi was invited, who significantly changed the original project. According to the decision of the initiators of the construction of the temple, the financing of the work should be carried out exclusively at the expense of donations from the parishioners, which is one of the reasons for such a long construction.
By 1918, Gaudi had become a completely isolated figure, he had only one sponsor left - Catholic Church. He had to go through a deep spiritual crisis alone, the deterioration of health and the death of many close friends. In 1910, his first teacher, José Villasec, died, in 1911, Maragall, the eccentric sculptor Mani and his assistant, in 1914, Berenguer, followed by Bishop Campis, and in 1916, Bishop Torras. With the death of Eusebio Güell in 1918, all work in the park and colony Güell finally ceased. Nevertheless, by 1918 he had only one project left, the work of his whole life - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Having created his own unique style in architecture, towards the end of his life he devoted himself completely to this building and to God.
Final view of the Sagrada Familia (project)
Gaudi was engaged not only in the design of the building, but also in collecting donations for construction, the pace of which in the first thirty-six years, from 1882 to 1918, could not be called fast. The crypt, which inherited its neo-Gothic forms from Paulo del Villara y Lozano, was completed in 1891.
By 1900, the first transverse façade was completed, called the Nativity façade, part inner wall and a chapel.
Eighteen years later, Gaudí's team, with the greatest care and attention to detail, continued to improve the designs and layouts of the central nave and passage, as well as the drawings of the opposite transverse facade of the Passion of the Lord. All this time, four bell towers slowly rose above the facade of the Nativity. The first, completed in 1918, has a honeycomb brick exterior with asymmetrical windows that spiral upward from base to top. From afar, it resembles an enlarged many times over copy of a fragile sea shell, which are found on the coast of Catalonia. Tower of St. Barnabas, covered with mosaics broken glass, turned out to be the only tower completed during Gaudí's lifetime.
For decades, Gaudi built and improved a certain liturgical order of the symbolic content of the space of the Sagrada Familia. Thanks to experiments in the Guell colony, which proved the effectiveness and reliability of the parabolic arch, a constructive solution as a whole had already been found. But in his workshop at the temple, Gaudí worked tirelessly on the details.
Obelisks were placed at the four corners of the construction site, symbolizing the four posts of the Catholic calendar circle. In addition, they were supposed, according to Gaudí, to "praise the Holy Family and preach the virtues of repentance." The composition was completed by a fountain and a lamp, symbolizing purification by fire and water. Inside the cathedral, Gaudi planned to place pews for thirteen thousand parishioners, while the central columns corresponded to the main apostolic missions of Spain, which included Valencia, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Seville, Toledo, Segovia and even small dioceses like Burgo de Osma with a population of only five thousand souls.
Throughout his life, Gaudí did what Goya and El Greco did before him - he skillfully used the plasticity and suppleness of the spiritual world. He said that “hearing corresponds to faith, and sight to glory, since glory is the image of God. From the point of view of the sensation of light, space and plasticity, vision is the infinity of space; it sees what is and what is not.” Gaudí was aware of the powerful psychological effects of sound, especially in places of worship. He experimented for years with the shape of the elongated bells for the Sagrada Familia. In addition, the entire structure of the building was designed to sound like a grandiose organ.
Color also played a special role. The irony lies in the fact that for many, Gaudi's work was associated with "black Spain", that is, the Inquisition, while he was the author of more impressive creations than the sparkling HOSANNA mosaic, soaring to the top of the bell tower. Gaudi imagined the interior of the Sagrada Familia as a bright multi-colored psalm to the glory of God.
Gaudi completed only one of the two chapels located at the corners of the churchyard - the chapel of the Rosary of Our Lady. It is a very small building, crowned with a dome, thanks to which a sufficient amount of daylight penetrates inside, and it seems as if rich lace was woven along the walls with an abundance of blooming roses and rose bushes associated with Christian symbols. In addition to the Virgin and Child, there are images of Saint Domingo and Saint Catalina of Siena, as well as figures of the Magi and prophets from the New Testament: David, Solomon, Isaac and Jacob.
The facade of the Nativity of the Sagrada Familia struck terror into the hearts of honest parishioners. When you step under a giant sculptural frieze, it seems that the building is about to collapse and bury all life under it.
The central entrance, divided in the middle by a column, is crowned by a sculptural group depicting the Holy Family. All figures are life-size. At ground level, two columns in the form of palm trees, visually dividing the space, rest on the backs of two turtles: the sea one from the sea side and the land one from the mountains. Turtles symbolize stability, the immutability of the world. At the same time, the figures of chameleons on both sides of the facade symbolize the constant change in natural forms.
At a thirty-meter height, under the canopy of a giant Christmas tree, surrounded by the apostles Barnabas, Simon, Thaddeus and Matthew, the glorification of the Madonna takes place. 
Portico of Mercy, coronation of Mary 
Portico of Hope 
Nativity of Jesus 
Portico of Hope, Massacre of the Innocents 
While designing the façade, Gaudí constantly kept an eye on the parishioners in search of suitable models. He considered copying the Creator's creations the highest form of his praise and evidence of his own modesty. The watchman of the cathedral, the alcoholic Josep, who later died of delirium tremens, became Judas. The fat goatherd was the model for Pontius Pilate. The six-fingered giant, encountered in one of the bars, posed for the figure of a centurion in the scene of the massacre of babies. When there were difficulties in finding models, Gaudí found them among his employees. Thus the sculptor became Saint Peter, the ferryman building material- the Apostle Thaddeus, and the plasterer - King David.
The next stage of work was even more unusual. Chickens and turkeys were euthanized with chloroform, smeared with fat, and a plaster cast was quickly made from them. The donkey was tied and hung on its harness so that it would be easier to take measurements from it. A dead owl found at a construction site has become a symbol of the night. And only once, when Gaudi decided to make a life-size casting with Ricardo Opisso, and he lost consciousness, the architect realized the eccentricity of his method.
The facade of the Nativity of Christ is decorated with a spire in the form of a cypress crowning three porticos: Mercy, Faith and Hope. Above the cave of the Coronation of the Holy Virgin is an anagram of Jesus, quite complex and expressive. In the center of it is a cross with the letters Α and Ω along the edges, denoting the beginning and end of all things. The cross itself serves as a symbol of the birth and end of world life.
A little higher, another rarely mentioned symbol can be seen - an egg covered with gold and red icing, also marked with a personal anagram of Jesus: JHS. Probably, we are talking about the egg as a symbol of integrity. The figure of a pelican above it refers to the primitive iconography of Christianity, it is also found in the mythology of previous eras. According to myths, this bird tears open its belly full of fish with its beak to feed its chicks, and therefore serves as a symbol of Jesus, as well as a symbol of the resurrection from the dead.
On the day of November 30, 1925, the construction of the tower of St. Barnabas, the first tower on the left side of the facade of the Nativity of Christ, was completed. This is the only tower that Gaudí saw completed.
The inside of the tower is just as striking as the outside. At the bottom of each tower, a spiral staircase begins, almost without railings (due to the steepness), when climbing it, it begins to seem to a person as if he is rotating around its axis. When looking at these stairs from the bottom up or from the top down, a stunning optical effect arises. The stairs of some towers are twisted in one direction, the stairs of others - in the opposite direction. Climbing up, you can go from one tower to another. Many transitions form a delightful vertical labyrinth. Inside one of the four towers there is an elevator that allows you to rise from ground level to a place where openings with stone shutters open in the walls. Here the stairs rest on the outer walls.
In subsequent years, the architect Domenic Sugranes, a follower of Gaudi, rebuilt three more towers. Later, four almost identical towers of the Passion façade were erected, their construction was completed in 1977. According to the project, the four towers of the Glory facade should be much higher than all existing ones.
The towers are dedicated to the twelve apostles. On the four oldest ones - the outer ones, ninety-four meters high, and the inner ones, one hundred and seven meters high - the names and corresponding figures of the apostles Barnabas, Simon, Judas Tadeo and Matthew, sitting on pedestals, and the inscription "Sursum corda" (Rise with your heart) are carved in Latin. Towers with square bases above have a circular section. The flow of one form into another occurs at the top level of the facade. There are many church towers with a square section and very few with a round one, but there is not a single tower, except for the towers of the Sagrada Familia, which combines both types of sections. Gaudi did not leave any explanation for the reason for the transition from square to round, while critics are limited to saying that this is a technique that is extremely successful from an aesthetic point of view. 
On Monday June 7, 1926, at five thirty in the afternoon, Gaudi left the Sagrada Familia to walk three kilometers to the church of San Philip Neri. Following the usual path, he went down the street to a crossroads and was hit by a tram there. Later, the driver of route number 30 claimed that Gaudi did not look where he was going, and, stumbling on the tram tracks, hit his head on a lamppost. Two passers-by rushed to help the victim of the incident, but did not recognize him as a famous architect. He had no documents with him, only a handful of raisins and nuts were found in his pockets. The hat is also missing. Four times they tried to stop a taxi to take the victim to the hospital, but each time they were refused. Finally, with the help of the National Guard soldiers, they managed to get a taxi driver to take the wounded man to a free dispensary for the poor. There, Gaudi was quickly diagnosed with rib fractures plus a head injury, and they decided to send him to the clinic.
The next morning, “the patient regained consciousness after a night of unconsciousness and asked to be unctioned, having fervently accepted the last communion.” Soon the news of Gaudí's sorry state spread throughout the city. By Tuesday evening, he was transferred to a separate ward, his ribs were set, but life was barely glimmering in him. Church prelates, friends and admirers filled the hospital corridors. A proposal to transfer the architect to an expensive private clinic was rejected. Gaudí wanted to die among the people. He said almost nothing, and his heavy breathing was only occasionally interrupted by a whisper of “Lord Jesus!”, And his pale hand, lying on top of the blanket, tightly gripped the crucifix. On Thursday, June 10, 1926, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Antonio Gaudí passed away.
After the death of Gaudí in 1926, the construction of the temple was headed by Domenique Sugranes and Francis de Quintana, under whom the first four bell towers were completed. In 1939, the construction of the cathedral was undertaken by Isidre Puig Boada and Lewis Bonet y Ghali. Lewis Bonet y Ghali became the project's chief architect in 1971. In 1985, Jordi Bonet y Armengol took charge, and a year later, the sculptor José Maria Subirax began work on the Passion of Christ façade.
“If we started construction from this facade, people would prevent it,” Gaudi explained his decision to postpone the construction of the Portal of Passion. This statement demonstrates the depth of drama that the architect was striving for. In 1911, in the city of Puigcerda, being seriously ill, he wrote a will and at the same time composed the composition of this portal, which depicts the events of the last week of the earthly life of Jesus. 
crucifixion
The fact that Subirax was the master who had to realize his idea confirms the great respect with which the Catalan art scholar Sirisi Pelicer writes in his work Modern Art of Catalonia (1970): “Subirax creates an exceptional sculpture that makes you think of Gaudí. He creates in typically unfavorable conditions that accompany all bearers of fire in their clashes with nonentities. Nevertheless, the appointment of the sculptor Subirax by the Governing Council was sharply criticized from the very beginning and was accompanied by sharp controversy. After a year of careful study of the architectural and sculptural heritage of Gaudí, Subirax took up his duties. On a peculiar stage with three plans, the sculptor depicted the story of the Passion, starting with the Last Supper and ending with the Crucifixion.
On November 28, 2000, the unfinished temple was consecrated. José María Subirax and other architects are currently working on the naves, choirs and patio. When the construction is completed, eighteen towers will rise above the city - in honor of the twelve apostles, four evangelists, the Mother of God and Christ. The towers of the evangelists will be decorated with their symbols, and the central tower of Christ will be decorated with a giant cross. In height, the central tower will be only one meter lower than Montjuic, the mountain that dominates Barcelona. Gaudi believed that his creation should not rise above the mountain that God created. He was a religious man who, despite everything, had a peculiar sense of humor. To criticisms about the pace of construction, the famous architect replied: "My client is in no hurry."
Many considered the work of Gaudi prophetic. Fearing that humanity is once again slipping into medieval obscurantism, Subirax once said: “If this is true, and everything that we are seeing today is not accidental - the revival of Islam, the AIDS epidemic, the simultaneous degeneration of local power and the collapse of great ideological blocs, new form piracy in the form of international terrorism and the flowering of esotericism - then Gaudi, as in many other cases, prophesied, saying: Sagrada Familia is not the last of the cathedrals, but the first in a new era. 
The Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, who can be considered Gaudi's heir in the sense of unique ability feel and discover new forms: “People tried to interpret the creations of Gaudí in terms of paganism, Freemasonry, Buddhism and even atheism. I think it was a man who really served the religious idea. But this god, or rather goddess, whom Gaudí bowed to, was architecture itself.”
Very nice detailed shots of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
No wonder this Cathedral is being built in the capital of Catalonia - the country of the Cathars. After I read a lot of information about the Cathars and lived in this city, the Cathedral itself and its idea are seen from a slightly different angle than they are trying to present in the information. But this is not surprising. After all, the Cathedral itself was built in honor of those who were destroyed by the papal inquisitors, the Cathars, whose Teachers were crucified on the cross, and his wife and daughter were meanly killed by cutting the throat of Mary Magdalene and twisting the neck of the little daughter of Jesus-Radomir Vesta, erasing all the remnants of those who carried the light of enlightenment, love and joy, who remembered real events and could expose the vile deception of the Dark Forces...
The architectural ensembles convey the appearance of the caves where the Cathars lived during the period of persecution by the Inquisition. The photograph of the sculpture of the coronation of Mary is also interesting - the Portico of Mercy, the coronation of Mary. The one who lays the crown is Jesus himself. Above the cave of the Coronation of the Holy Virgin is located anagram of Jesus quite complex and expressive. Therefore, this is not his mother, but his wife Mary Magdolina - the Holy Virgin.
The Expiatory Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia (cat. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia), often called the Sagrada Familia, is a famous church in Barcelona designed by the famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi. The temple is located in the Eixample district, its construction began in 1882 and has not yet been completed.
The first draft of the cathedral was developed by the architect Francisco del Villar (cat. Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano), in whose place at the end of 1883 A. Gaudi was invited, who significantly changed the original project. According to the decision of the initiators of the construction of the temple, the financing of the work should be carried out exclusively at the expense of donations from the parishioners, which is one of the reasons for such a long construction.
By 1918, Gaudi had become a completely isolated figure, he had only one sponsor left - the Catholic Church. He had to go through a deep spiritual crisis alone, the deterioration of health and the death of many close friends. In 1910, his first teacher, José Villasec, died, in 1911, Maragall, the eccentric sculptor Mani and his assistant, in 1914, Berenguer, followed by Bishop Campis, and in 1916, Bishop Torras. With the death of Eusebio Güell in 1918, all work in the park and colony Güell finally ceased. Nevertheless, by 1918 he had only one project left, the work of his whole life - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Having created his own unique style in architecture, towards the end of his life he devoted himself completely to this building and to God.
Final view of the Sagrada Familia (project)
Gaudi was engaged not only in the design of the building, but also in collecting donations for construction, the pace of which in the first thirty-six years, from 1882 to 1918, could not be called fast. The crypt, which inherited its neo-Gothic forms from Paulo del Villara y Lozano, was completed in 1891.
By 1900, the first transverse façade was completed, called the Nativity façade, part of the inner wall and the chapel.
Eighteen years later, Gaudí's team, with the greatest care and attention to detail, continued to improve the designs and layouts of the central nave and passage, as well as the drawings of the opposite transverse facade of the Passion of the Lord. All this time, four bell towers slowly rose above the facade of the Nativity. The first, completed in 1918, has a honeycomb brick exterior with asymmetrical windows that spiral upward from base to top. From afar, it resembles an enlarged many times over copy of a fragile sea shell, which are found on the coast of Catalonia. The tower of St. Barnabas, covered with broken glass mosaics, was the only tower completed during Gaudí's lifetime.
For decades, Gaudi built and improved a certain liturgical order of the symbolic content of the space of the Sagrada Familia. Thanks to experiments in the Guell colony, which proved the effectiveness and reliability of the parabolic arch, a constructive solution as a whole had already been found. But in his workshop at the temple, Gaudí worked tirelessly on the details.
Obelisks were placed at the four corners of the construction site, symbolizing the four posts of the Catholic calendar circle. In addition, they were supposed, according to Gaudí, to "praise the Holy Family and preach the virtues of repentance." The composition was completed by a fountain and a lamp, symbolizing purification by fire and water. Inside the cathedral, Gaudi planned to place pews for thirteen thousand parishioners, while the central columns corresponded to the main apostolic missions of Spain, which included Valencia, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Seville, Toledo, Segovia and even small dioceses like Burgo de Osma with a population of only five thousand souls.
Throughout his life, Gaudí did what Goya and El Greco did before him - he skillfully used the plasticity and suppleness of the spiritual world. He said that “hearing corresponds to faith, and sight to glory, since glory is the image of God. From the point of view of the sensation of light, space and plasticity, vision is the infinity of space; it sees what is and what is not.” Gaudí was aware of the powerful psychological effects of sound, especially in places of worship. He experimented for years with the shape of the elongated bells for the Sagrada Familia. In addition, the entire structure of the building was designed to sound like a grandiose organ.
Color also played a special role. The irony lies in the fact that for many, Gaudi's work was associated with "black Spain", that is, the Inquisition, while he was the author of more impressive creations than the sparkling HOSANNA mosaic, soaring to the top of the bell tower. Gaudi imagined the interior of the Sagrada Familia as a bright multi-colored psalm to the glory of God.
Gaudi completed only one of the two chapels located at the corners of the churchyard - the chapel of the Rosary of Our Lady. It is a very small building, topped with a dome, thanks to which a sufficient amount of daylight penetrates inside, and it seems as if rich lace is woven along the walls with an abundance of flowering roses and rose bushes associated with Christian symbols. In addition to the Virgin and Child, there are images of Saint Domingo and Saint Catalina of Siena, as well as figures of the Magi and prophets from the New Testament: David, Solomon, Isaac and Jacob.
The facade of the Nativity of the Sagrada Familia struck terror into the hearts of honest parishioners. When you step under a giant sculptural frieze, it seems that the building is about to collapse and bury all life under it.
The central entrance, divided in the middle by a column, is crowned by a sculptural group depicting the Holy Family. All figures are life-size. At ground level, two columns in the form of palm trees, visually dividing the space, rest on the backs of two turtles: the sea one from the sea side and the land one from the mountains. Turtles symbolize stability, the immutability of the world. At the same time, the figures of chameleons on both sides of the facade symbolize the constant change in natural forms.
At a thirty-meter height, under the canopy of a giant Christmas tree, surrounded by the apostles Barnabas, Simon, Thaddeus and Matthew, the glorification of the Madonna takes place.
Portico of Mercy, coronation of Mary
Portico of Hope
Nativity of Jesus
Portico of Hope, Massacre of the Innocents
The whole facade of the Nativity, impetuous and grandiose, gives the impression of continuous movement. This is nothing more, critics grumbled, than a "treatise on pure striving." But Gaudí's unfinished creation uses an unbridled style of kleptomania, combining the language of wax figures, dioramas, carnival, landscape, grotto, fairground and religious shrine into an intricate whole.
While designing the façade, Gaudí constantly kept an eye on the parishioners in search of suitable models. He considered copying the Creator's creations the highest form of his praise and evidence of his own modesty. The watchman of the cathedral, the alcoholic Josep, who later died of delirium tremens, became Judas. The fat goatherd was the model for Pontius Pilate. The six-fingered giant, encountered in one of the bars, posed for the figure of a centurion in the scene of the massacre of babies. When there were difficulties in finding models, Gaudí found them among his employees. So the sculptor became Saint Peter, the transporter of building material became the Apostle Thaddeus, and the plasterer became King David.
The next stage of work was even more unusual. Chickens and turkeys were euthanized with chloroform, smeared with fat, and a plaster cast was quickly made from them. The donkey was tied and hung on its harness so that it would be easier to take measurements from it. A dead owl found at a construction site has become a symbol of the night. And only once, when Gaudi decided to make a life-size casting with Ricardo Opisso, and he lost consciousness, the architect realized the eccentricity of his method.
The facade of the Nativity of Christ is decorated with a spire in the form of a cypress crowning three porticos: Mercy, Faith and Hope. Above the cave of the Coronation of the Holy Virgin is an anagram of Jesus, quite complex and expressive. In the center of it is a cross with the letters Α and Ω along the edges, denoting the beginning and end of all things. The cross itself serves as a symbol of the birth and end of world life.
A little higher, another rarely mentioned symbol can be seen - an egg covered with gold and red icing, also marked with a personal anagram of Jesus: JHS. Probably, we are talking about the egg as a symbol of integrity. The figure of a pelican above it refers to the primitive iconography of Christianity, it is also found in the mythology of previous eras. According to myths, this bird tears open its belly full of fish with its beak to feed its chicks, and therefore serves as a symbol of Jesus, as well as a symbol of the resurrection from the dead.
On the day of November 30, 1925, the construction of the tower of St. Barnabas, the first tower on the left side of the facade of the Nativity of Christ, was completed. This is the only tower that Gaudí saw completed.
The inside of the tower is just as striking as the outside. At the bottom of each tower, a spiral staircase begins, almost without railings (due to the steepness), when climbing it, it begins to seem to a person as if he is rotating around its axis. When looking at these stairs from the bottom up or from the top down, a stunning optical effect arises. The stairs of some towers are twisted in one direction, the stairs of others - in the opposite direction. Climbing up, you can go from one tower to another. Many transitions form a delightful vertical labyrinth. Inside one of the four towers there is an elevator that allows you to rise from ground level to a place where openings with stone shutters open in the walls. Here the stairs rest on the outer walls.
In subsequent years, the architect Domenic Sugranes, a follower of Gaudi, rebuilt three more towers. Later, four almost identical towers of the Passion façade were erected, their construction was completed in 1977. According to the project, the four towers of the Glory facade should be much higher than all existing ones.
The towers are dedicated to the twelve apostles. On the four oldest ones - the outer ones, ninety-four meters high, and the inner ones, one hundred and seven meters high - the names and corresponding figures of the apostles Barnabas, Simon, Judas Tadeo and Matthew, sitting on pedestals, and the inscription "Sursum corda" (Rise with your heart) are carved in Latin. Towers with square bases above have a circular section. The flow of one form into another occurs at the top level of the facade. There are many church towers with a square section and very few with a round one, but there is not a single tower, except for the towers of the Sagrada Familia, which combines both types of sections. Gaudi did not leave any explanation for the reason for the transition from square to round, while critics are limited to saying that this is a technique that is extremely successful from an aesthetic point of view.
On Monday June 7, 1926, at five thirty in the afternoon, Gaudi left the Sagrada Familia to walk three kilometers to the church of San Philip Neri. Following the usual path, he went down the street to a crossroads and was hit by a tram there. Later, the driver of route number 30 claimed that Gaudi did not look where he was going, and, stumbling on the tram tracks, hit his head on a lamppost. Two passers-by rushed to help the victim of the incident, but did not recognize him as a famous architect. He had no documents with him, only a handful of raisins and nuts were found in his pockets. The hat is also missing. Four times they tried to stop a taxi to take the victim to the hospital, but each time they were refused. Finally, with the help of the National Guard soldiers, they managed to get a taxi driver to take the wounded man to a free dispensary for the poor. There, Gaudi was quickly diagnosed with rib fractures plus a head injury, and they decided to send him to the clinic.
The next morning, “the patient regained consciousness after a night of unconsciousness and asked to be unctioned, having fervently accepted the last communion.” Soon the news of Gaudí's sorry state spread throughout the city. By Tuesday evening, he was transferred to a separate ward, his ribs were set, but life was barely glimmering in him. Church prelates, friends and admirers filled the hospital corridors. A proposal to transfer the architect to an expensive private clinic was rejected. Gaudí wanted to die among the people. He said almost nothing, and his heavy breathing was only occasionally interrupted by a whisper of “Lord Jesus!”, And his pale hand, lying on top of the blanket, tightly gripped the crucifix. On Thursday, June 10, 1926, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Antonio Gaudí passed away.
After the death of Gaudí in 1926, the construction of the temple was headed by Domenique Sugranes and Francis de Quintana, under whom the first four bell towers were completed. In 1939, the construction of the cathedral was undertaken by Isidre Puig Boada and Lewis Bonet y Ghali. Lewis Bonet y Ghali became the project's chief architect in 1971. In 1985, Jordi Bonet y Armengol took charge, and a year later, the sculptor José Maria Subirax began work on the Passion of Christ façade.
“If we started construction from this facade, people would prevent it,” Gaudi explained his decision to postpone the construction of the Portal of Passion. This statement demonstrates the depth of drama that the architect was striving for. In 1911, in the city of Puigcerda, being seriously ill, he wrote a will and at the same time composed the composition of this portal, which depicts the events of the last week of the earthly life of Jesus.
crucifixion
The fact that Subirax was the master who had to realize his idea confirms the great respect with which the Catalan art scholar Sirisi Pelicer writes in his work Modern Art of Catalonia (1970): “Subirax creates an exceptional sculpture that makes you think of Gaudí. He creates in typically unfavorable conditions that accompany all bearers of fire in their clashes with nonentities. Nevertheless, the appointment of the sculptor Subirax by the Governing Council was sharply criticized from the very beginning and was accompanied by sharp controversy. After a year of careful study of the architectural and sculptural heritage of Gaudí, Subirax took up his duties. On a peculiar stage with three plans, the sculptor depicted the story of the Passion, starting with the Last Supper and ending with the Crucifixion.
On November 28, 2000, the unfinished temple was consecrated. José María Subirax and other architects are currently working on the naves, choirs and patio. When the construction is completed, eighteen towers will rise above the city - in honor of the twelve apostles, four evangelists, the Mother of God and Christ. The towers of the evangelists will be decorated with their symbols, and the central tower of Christ will be decorated with a giant cross. In height, the central tower will be only one meter lower than Montjuic, the mountain that dominates Barcelona. Gaudi believed that his creation should not rise above the mountain that God created. He was a religious man who, despite everything, had a peculiar sense of humor. To criticisms about the pace of construction, the famous architect replied: "My client is in no hurry."
Many considered the work of Gaudi prophetic. Fearing that humanity is once again slipping into medieval obscurantism, Subirax once said: “If this is true, and everything that we are seeing today is not accidental - the revival of Islam, the AIDS epidemic, the simultaneous degeneration of local power and the collapse of great ideological blocs, a new form of piracy in the form of international terrorism and the flowering of esotericism - then Gaudi, as in many other cases, prophesied, saying: Sagrada Familia is not the last of the cathedrals, but the first in a new era.
The Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, who can be considered the heir of Gaudi in terms of the unique ability to feel and discover new forms, most accurately described the work of Gaudi: “People tried to interpret Gaudi’s creations in terms of paganism, Freemasonry, Buddhism and even atheism. I think it was a man who really served the religious idea. But this god, or rather goddess, whom Gaudí bowed to, was architecture itself.”
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The Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family - this is the name of this attraction. Tourists and locals 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 encourages admiration for it from the outside, but it makes a much greater impression inside.
Perhaps the tour would not have been so impressive if it were not for the Russian-language audio guide, which will tell you a huge amount of incredible interesting information about the history of creation and the symbols that are woven into it by the genius of Antonio Gaudi.
By 2026, when it is planned to be completed construction works, 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 spoke about his dream - to build a temple dedicated to the Holy Family. Bokabelya liked the idea - and immediately started raising funds for its construction.
The start date of construction is March 19, 1882, when the first stone of the church was laid.
Initially, Francisco de Paulo del Villar was appointed architect, but he soon leaves the project, and instead of him they invite the relatively young Antonio Gaudi, who, nevertheless, has already managed to show his originality and talent. At first, he continues to build according to the design of his predecessor, but in 1889, when a rather large donation was received, the architect decides to remake 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 a 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. Now modern Computer techologies, which you can hear about during the tour 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 here, where you will be told about the life of the great architect and the process of building the church.
The visit is best left on 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 use one of the two elevators that are located in the towers: Barcelona from a bird's eye view is a delightful sight!
External facades of the temple
The first thing a tourist usually sees when exiting the subway 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 the ticket office are now located. It has three portals: 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. At the top you can see the symbolic and its pommel symbolically depicts Mount Montserrat with the inscription "Save us". The right portal of Vera contains the sculptural paintings "Meeting Elizabeth with the Mother of God", "Jesus and the Pharisees", "Entrance into 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 “The Adoration of the Shepherds and Magi”, and above them are 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 a symbolic church and her flock a cypress tree crowned with a cross surrounded by birds.
The façade of the Passion of Christ was started later than the façade of the Nativity, as Gaudi was afraid to frighten people with the scenes depicted on it. This facade is directed to the West, where the sun sets, and this is not accidental. With the sunrise, according to the idea of Gaudi, comes into 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 crucifixion is now directly 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 now it is not possible to see his photographs. According to the sketch that you can see above, the entire 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 is simply striking in its design.
Play of light
On a sunny day, an incredible play of light adds color to the interior decoration. The recognized master of work with light designed the cathedral in such a way that it practically does not need artificial light. Enough that penetrates through the light windows, the location of which is carefully thought out.
stained glass windows The Russian-language audio guide that you will receive at the entrance will tell you about how the stained-glass windows are arranged and the symbolism of the interior decoration. On the official website you can see more photos, and you can walk around it here. Although, of course, 360 ° projection does not convey even a tenth of what you see with your own eyes.
- On the facade of the "Nativity" there is a portal of mercy. On it you can see the faces whose projections were taken from the masks of real dead residents of Barcelona and church builders. Thus, I wanted to perpetuate their memory.
- Construction will take more time (started in 1882) than construction Egyptian pyramids , which were "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.
- Gaudí didn't like right angles and lines due to their unnaturalness, so "natural" cues 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.
- Gaudi believed that no human structure should exceed the height created by God. So the height of the Sagrada Familia is 560 meters in. This is 1 meter below the top of the hill of Montjuic, which dominates the city.
- In 1936 a group of anarchists staged fire in the crypt and destroyed the workshop with plans and models. Fortunately, a small part of them managed to be saved.
- Built in such a place that it can be seen from anywhere in the city. glass mosaic in its upper part is designed in such a way that the reflected light of the sun or moon serves as beacon for sailors.
- In the room where the museum is now located, there 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 to the Virgin Mary and the central (highest) to Jesus Christ.
- At the base of the building is a prayer room, where the great architect is buried.
- Funding for the construction is for the most part made up of donations and entrance fees. During the year, the Sagrada Familia is visited by about 3 million tourists, which makes it possible 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 to be the front 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 construction, when Josep Bocabella had just begun to raise money for the construction and was thinking about who to invite to develop the project, one of his relatives told him: “It will be built by a man with blue eyes!” 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 as the most important in Barcelona, was consecrated only in November 2010.
- From the very beginning until now construction is carried out only on donations from private individuals- this is one of the main reasons why it took so many years to build it.
- 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 where 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 tours take place outside the building. After it, you can already "finish off" the program by inspecting the building from the inside. How to get there by public transport
How to get from the airport
If you have a transfer in Barcelona and want to see its main attraction, then you can use the special metro line (L9) that 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 available near each terminal at the airport. Trains run every 7 minutes.
- Go to the Collblanc station (the penultimate one), where you need to pay the metro fare separately (2 euros one way), transfer to the L5 line in the direction of Vall d "Hebron and get to the Sagrada Familia station.
The total travel time is about 30-35 minutes (one way). The trip there and back 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 you will return back). Keep in mind that you will need about an hour and a half to inspect the inside. Therefore, there must be a margin of at least 5 hours between flights.
Types of tickets and their purchase
| Type | What is included in the price | Price | |
| Panoramic |
|
34€ | |
| Life and work of Gaudí |
Helpful Hints
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Cathedral of Gaudí in Barcelona rightfully has the status of a cult city landmark. All over the world, this object is known by the name. Gaudí Cathedral is considered a major tourist attraction that attracts travelers from all over the world to Barcelona. This architectural marvel has a complicated history with several tragic twists and turns.
Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona is not a stronghold of the church, as it was not built on church land. It should be remembered that it acts as the residence of the archbishop. For some reason, this fact is ignored by many tourists who are trying to find links between the Gaudí Cathedral and the Church of Barcelona where there are none.
The popularity is extremely high, so it's not surprising a large number of rumors and speculation around this attraction.
History of Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona
The unique architectural marvel of Barcelona became a reality thanks to monetary donations from ordinary parishioners. Acquisition deal land plot for construction took place in 1881. At that time it was located outside the city limits, and now it is in the area of the center of Barcelona. The growth rate of the urban area is so significant.
Francisco del Villar was appointed the first architect of an outstanding project in Barcelona. From 1882, he worked on the idea, wanting to present to the public a neo-Gothic basilica in the shape of a cross.
Francisco was immersed in work, managed to complete the drawings of the apse with seven chapels. However, there were problems associated with the disagreement of the customer. This escalated the situation and forced the architect to spend too much time defending his vision. Del Villar's departure came less than a year after the start of work.
He was replaced by the ambitious and discussed in Barcelona Antonio Gaudi, who decided to develop the project from scratch, ignoring the ideas of his predecessor. For Gaudi, one of the key tasks was to ensure the harmony of the offspring with nature.
The final choice was made on the concept of a sand castle. The Gaudi Cathedral, according to the architect, was to become a truly great project, but not encroach on the sacred positions of nature. The height of the central spire (170 meters) was not chosen by chance: the landmark was the pride of Barcelona - Mount Montjuic. Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona proves that human imagination is limitless and can lead to amazing results, but nature is the real magician.
7 years after the start of construction, he received the long-awaited crypt, which originated during the work of del Villar. Antonio Gaudí wanted to present to the world a project that would serve as a visual encyclopedia of the gospel for the residents and visitors of Barcelona.
Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona has a difficult history of construction. Perhaps the key problem can be considered insufficient funding, which hampered the construction process.
When working on the asp, we managed to get a significant amount. Money opened up opportunities to adjust the project. Main Constructive decisions were not revised, however, to give the appearance of monumentality, Gaudí developed towers of amazing beauty. Thoughtfulness to the smallest detail and graceful forms have become the main features of the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona.
The attraction is characterized by stunning facades of the Nativity, Glory and Passion of Christ, which win the heart of any tourist in Barcelona. Initially, it was supposed to decorate the Gaudí Cathedral with an unusual combination of shades of ceramics, but later the idea was abandoned.
Of paramount importance for the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona is the nativity façade. Antonio Gaudí believed that it was necessary to mobilize all resources for its construction. The architect wanted to surprise the inhabitants of Barcelona with the scale of the building and convey to them the main idea. Lizards and snails were used to decorate this facade. During the construction of the Gaudí Cathedral, a lot of effort and time was given to the cloister, which symbolizes the portal of the Holy Virgin of the Rosary.
One of the main architectural marvels of Barcelona received its characteristic forms by the beginning of the last century. The outlines of the Gaudi Cathedral became the subject of numerous disputes, in which the inhabitants of the city expressed their surprise and admiration for the architectural genius. Even then, it became clear that the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona would take its place among the best Catalan sights.
The architect decided that it was necessary to build a parochial school to develop the idea of the project. Its construction took a year. The parochial school became one of the notable features. It embodies the main ideas of the architect's work - the rejection of stereotypes and the use of curvilinear forms in such a way as not to weaken the strength of the structure.
In 1925 there was an important event for the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona - the Nativity façade was completed. To this day, the column of St. Barnabas surprises with its size.
Gaudí Cathedral loses its author: the death of a great architect
June 7, 1926 is considered a turning point in the history of the construction of the Sagrada Familia. As a result of an accident, the architect was hit by a tram, but did not receive adequate medical care. It's all about his modest appearance and lack of documents with him at the time of the tragedy. It was decided to send the victim to a hospital for the poor, where they did not want to spend much time with him and provided assistance at a minimal level. Gaudi was identified at the moment when precious time was lost. The death of the great architect of Barcelona occurred on June 10, 1926. He was buried in the crypt of the main project of his life. This decision is explained by symbolism and the desire to provide a link between the Gaudí Cathedral and its author.
Domenech Sugranes was chosen as the next architect for the project. He was considered, if not the most, then one of the most talented students of Antonio Gaudi.
Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona: construction after the death of an outstanding genius
In the 30s of the last century, the construction of the columns of the Nativity facade was completed. Difficulties in further work were associated with civil war which caused difficulties in all spheres of life. During the hostilities, the drawings of the Gaudi Cathedral, which remained from the author of the project, burned down. With the end of the war, work on the construction of the unique sights of Barcelona resumed, but without Sugranes, who died in 1938.
Significant progress in the construction of the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona was achieved in 1952. In the final form, a staircase and lighting appeared. The completion of work on the Nativity façade was nearing completion, it was planned to throw all efforts on the Passion façade. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of finishing work on the crypt.
The Passion Façade tower was completed in 1977. In order to decorate the Gaudí Cathedral, it was decided to use numerous stained-glass windows and sculptures. Ideas for decorations are related to the theme of the Nativity of Christ.
At the moment, the Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona is being built at an accelerated pace by attracting a large number of forces and resources. The aspis and the middle cross were completed in 2010. The next goal is to build 2 towers. The main one has a height of 170 meters. The towers, according to the plan, are made in honor of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Gaudí Cathedral in Barcelona: interesting facts
1. The project contains 4 more towers, which should be dedicated to the Evangelists. Each of them is 120 meters high. Subject to the deadlines for the completion of work at each stage, the construction of the Gaudí Cathedral will be completed in 2026.
2. Sagrada Familia is not only amazing appearance, but also a unique interior decoration with a lot of details. They fully reveal the intent of the project. Antonio Gaudi tried to use atypical forms to give grace and incomparable beauty. Difficulties in erection are associated with this, since it is difficult to work with the accepted forms. The architectural wonder of Barcelona takes a lot of time to realize.
3. At present, the Gaudí Cathedral is being supplied with the necessary resources, the best specialists who are able to realize the original idea with the help of modern means design. Barcelona has been waiting for the completion of this project for decades.
During the construction of the Sagrada Familia, it is necessary to process stone blocks using a special technology that requires high costs time.
Buying tickets for the Gaudí Cathedral
From the inside, the attraction surprises with original stained-glass windows, amazing work with stucco and mosaics. Gaudí Cathedral is known for its unique play of light. Tremendous attention to detail when planning interior spaces – distinguishing feature work of Gaudí.
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