Temple of the Sagrada Familia
The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece and Barcelona’s most iconic symbol. Conceived as an expiatory church funded by private donations, construction began in 1882 under a neo-Gothic design and was reinvented by Gaudí from 1883 onward.
Gaudí’s Innovative Vision
- Gaudí devoted his last decades to the temple, pioneering structural innovations: hyperboloid columns mimicking a forest, colorful stained glass flooding the interior, and pinnacles adorned with trencadís ceramics.
- The original plan includes 18 towers: twelve for the Apostles, four for the Evangelists, one for the Virgin Mary and a central 170 m tower for Jesus—the tallest in Europe.
- Three façades narrate Christ’s life: Nativity (celebration of life), Passion (drama and sacrifice) and Glory (resurrection, Last Judgment, Eternity).
Current Status and Future
- At Gaudí’s death in 1926, only the crypt and Nativity façade were complete and were declared UNESCO World Heritage in 2005.
- Construction continues through donations and ticket revenue, blending respect for Gaudí’s design with 3D modeling and prefabrication.
- Completion is planned for 2026, marking the centenary of Gaudí’s death and realizing the temple’s final form.
The Sagrada Familia fuses unique architectural language, light play and Christian symbolism in a living building that, after more than a century of work, continues to astonish visitors worldwide.
How to get there
Coordinates:
Decimal: 41.403889°, 2.174444°
DMS: 41°24'14" N, 2°10'28" E
Other similar tourist places in Spain
Comments
Be the first to comment on this place