The Sagrata Familia in Barcelona, Spain
Gaudi’s vision for the cathedral was to encompass three primary facades representing the three most significant aspects of the life of Christ: His Birth, His Passion and Crucifixion, and the Glory of His Resurrection. The Birth and Passion facades are largely complete, but the Glory facade is still under construction to this day.
The Nativity Facade (click on a photo to expand)
The Crucifixion Facade (click on a photo to expand)
The Glory Facade (click on a photo to expand)
(Notice above how all of the elements of the facade are directed to a central point upward with the spires and other elements all representing some aspect of resurrection glory.)
Gaudi’s design for the cathedral also included a total of 18 towers like the ones seen above and in the cover photo. The eighteen were to represent the Twelve Apostles, the four Gospel writers, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus himself. To date (Oct. 2023), only eight (8) of the towers have been completed. The tallest of the towers will be that dedicated to Jesus himself and will have a height of 560 feet! When completed, the Sagrata Familia will be the tallest church building in the world.
The Eight Completed Spires
The Apostles are represented by the spires with pink rosette-like tops, The Evangelists by the white angel-figured tops, Mary by the crystal-like top.
Gaudi’s neo-Gothic style for the cathedral draws from the Gothic as well as a more contemporary Spanish architectural influence. His vision for the cathedral and his passion for this project are represented in the fact that his prototypes were all done in 3D model structures, one or more of which are on display in the repository below the cathedral.
In conclusion: Our tour of the cathedral and its related attractions was truly one of the most fascinating and inspiring outings my wife and I have ever done. I have included several other pictures below for your review and I trust your enjoyment as well. I welcome your comments regarding your thoughts on the topic of the Sagrata Familia, Gaudi, or any of the pictures I have taken and presented here. Finally, I would encourage you to visit the website of the Sagrata itself for a more detailed account of its history, structural elements, and additional stunning photos. Ken
