L'església

The Church

I honestly don't know how to begin to describe this structure. If you have visited, you know what I mean. If you have not, I hope you can one day. The pictures will in no way do it justice.

We have seen a fair number of cathedrals since we've been in Europe and some are more beautiful and elaborate than others, but none are quite like this one. While I love traditional architecture, this church is definitely non-traditional. Despite being constructed in more modern times and with more modern equipment, it is a work of art and simply gorgeous.

First, it was designed by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. I hope you were able to see my blog post on the artists which included a brief bio of Gaudi.

Gaudi was a devout Catholic and in his later years devoted his entire

life to his religion. He also became reluctant to talk with reporters or have his picture taken and solely concentrated on his masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada Familia

Holy Family

This is the altar

The view above the altar

Close up of the detail at the ceiling

This is the Passion Facade, above the main entry, designed by Catalan sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs i Sitjar. This side of the church is about the suffering of Jesus Christ.

As you enter, this is the view in front of you - the altar is to the left

Although Gaudi was constantly changing his mind and recreating his blueprints, the only existing copy of his last recorded blueprints was destroyed by anarchists in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War further complicating completion of the church.

In the basement of the church is a really nice museum. This is a photo taken not long after construction began. The first stone was laid in 1882.

You can see the scaffolding. I had hoped to see someone working up there so I could snap a "perspective" picture. It's so difficult to capture the scale of this place in a small picture.

Subirach's cryptogram is mounted on the facade.

It is a magic square with all rows and columns adding to 33.

FYI - In squares of order 4 where the numbers run sequentially from 1-16 the magic constant (the sum of a single line, row or diagonal) is 34. Subirach's square does not contain the numbers 12 or 16. Instead, 10 and 14 are included twice making a magic constant of 33, the age of Jesus Christ at the crucifixion.

Detail of the ceiling throughout. Those are huge mosaics that allow the sunlight through.

This is the main entry on the opposite side from the Passion Facade.

Although it was named a basilica in 2010, I read that construction of the church is not funded by any religious organization or the government, but comes solely from donations and tickets purchased by tourists like us . . .

and like them.

I couldn't resist taking this picture. Asians - keeping our economy going. Thank you. Entry to the church and museum is €12,50 and worth it.

In the distance is a spiral staircase - there are two of these on either side of this wall.

Gaudi designed the church to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, 4 for the 4 evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus.

Near the entry to the church is this little school. Perhaps Gaudi was a man ahead of his time? This is a school for the children of the workers at the church and for local children.

This mosaic is on the floor in the center of the church.

Gaudi spent the last few years of his life living in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. On June 7, 1926, he was hit by a tram. Because of his ragged clothes and empty pockets, many passed him by. He was eventually taken to a paupers' hospital in Barcelona. Nobody recognized the injured artist until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to move him to a nicer hospital, Gaudi refused saying he belonged among the poor. He died three days later at the age of 73 and was interred at La Sagrada Familia.

Gaudi proposed the church would take 200 years to complete. At the time of his death less than a quarter of his beloved project was complete. Completion of the Sagrada Familia is planned for 2026, the centennial of Gaudi's death. This would actually be ahead of schedule.