Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia
Antoni Gaudí said, “Sunshine is the best painter.” La Sagrada Familia, his most famous work, is testimony and proof to this truth.
Construction of Sagrada Familia started in 1882 under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, but by 1883 Villar resigned, giving Gaudí the opportunity to take over as chief architect and he devoted the remainder of his life turning what would have been a typical cathedral into the most unforgettable church I have ever seen. At the time of his death, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Gaudí died at age 73 in 1926, and is buried in Sagrada Familia’s crypt. The church, which has been under construction for literally 137 years is expected to complete in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.
The outside of La Sagrada Familia is pure impact – only a madman or a genius, as the Director of his University of Architecture called him, would envision this. Calling for 18 spires representing the Twelve Apostles, the Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists, and Jesus Christ – the latter spire of Jesus will rise to 172.5 meters/566 feet above street level, one meter/3 feet shorter than the highest natural point in Barcelona, Montjuïc Hill. Why? Gaudi believed that his creation should not surpass one of God.
One of the three main façades and the oldest and only one Gaudi saw before his death is the Nativity Façade. It serves as the church’s current main entrance. The walls recount the birth of Christ interspersed with vibrant, colorful scenes of nature with the energy of new life.
The opposite side is the Passion Façade, made in a cold and simplistic cubist style (which Gaudi designed on purpose since he despised cubism), with a wall of virtually colorless sculptures and bone-like columns depicting the betrayal and eventual death of Jesus.
Still under construction is the future main entrance at the Glory Façade which will depict scenes of heaven and hell and touch on the theme of the Resurrection and Ascension to God.
The inside of La Sagrada Familia took my breath away, and was more then I had hoped it would be. I thought the pictures I’d seen must have been enhanced, yet…as you will see from mine, no enhancement is necessary. Walking into the church this morning was like stepping into the heart of a rainbow. The sun was beaming in through the stained glass windows and lighting up the interior proving Gaudi right again…sunshine really is the best painter. The morning light coming in from the Nativity façade sparkles with ocean blues and forest greens while the afternoon sun setting on the Passion façade glows reds and yellows. You’ll be able to tell the time of the day (blue/green in morning and red/yellow in afternoon) by which colors dominate. You will see from the pictures, we were there in the morning.
The columns supporting the building were built to mirror trees and branches, each spanning various geometric forms. A simple example is a square base progressing to an octagon, passing to a sixteen-sided form and ending up in a circle. None of the interior surfaces are flat and the level of detail to the ornamentation is something to behold. Toward the front we could look down into a small chapel and see Gaudi’s tomb in the floor decorated with a series of burning candles.
After all this explanation, I can only let the pictures do the talking. I had a hard time choosing…and of course pictures just do not do this masterpiece justice.
