July 5th, 2010 | 
Author: Experience Sagrada Familia In Barcelona
Barcelona radiates Catalonian charm and sizzles with Spanish passion. A popular city destination Barcelona welcomes countless tourists every year keen to sample traditional tapas and a little of the city’s ancient heritage.
Besides the modern cultural offerings of Barcelona such as the Camp Nou for sports fans and Sonar and the Primavera Sound Festival for globetrotting music aficionados it’s the city’s historic sites which are the undeniable mustsees of any discerning visit.
The city boasts numerous exemplary architectural sites of interest whether your passion lies in art architecture or music but no visit to Barcelona would be complete without a visit to Gaudi’s spectacular Sagrada Familia.
While the official Catalan title is the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia it is commonly referred to as Gaudi’s Cathedral. La Sagrada Familia is Gaudi’s finest monument and one that attracts tourists magnetically to its amazingly detailed stonework dreamlike imagining and remarkably considered design. Realising the massive cathedral has been no mean undertaking and it is famously still under construction 127 years after building work first began.
Antoni Gaudi was born in 1852 and became a key proponent of Spain’s Art Nouveau movement which saw a popularity in decorative art with a distinct organic and floral aesthetic that culminated at the start of the 20th century. Gaudi’s unique style gave birth to the creation of many of Barcelona’s most striking buildings; not least Gaudi’s house itself but also Casa Mila Parc Guell and Casa Vicens.
Gaudi devoted his life to the construction of La Sagrada Familia in the name of his Catholic faith. In its design he integrated towering monuments to the iconic figures of his beloved religion the apostles the evangelists Mary and Jesus. He hoped that it would reach out to Christians the world over as a mecca for worship. Upon completion the cathedral will have three facades the Nativity the Glory and the Passion. The interior will be riddled with iconic sculptures and busts relating to saints and sins according to modern interpretations of Gaudi’s designs.
By the nature of the artist’s continually evolving designs successive architects have struggled to come to grips with Gaudi’s master plan. The final realised blue prints have long since been lost burned by anarchists during civil unrest in 1938. As such while the cathedral plans to open for worship in 2010 it is not expected to be completed before 2026 the centenary of the artist’s death.
Gaudi died in 1926 fully aware that he would not live to see his grand design realised. However such is the organic nature of his design it seems fitting that the construction work on his magnum opus should continue to grow long outwith its designer’s life. Furthermore due to the popularity of Gaudi many visitors often make the point of including his most popular sights in their itineraries once they arrive from their flights to Barcelona.
About the writer: The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
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