Basilica Sagrada Familia famous temple in Barcelona

Basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is one of the most popular attractions in the city.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a beautiful city where history and tradition blend with the future and modernity, and old houses stand alongside futuristic buildings straight out of science fiction movies. Many travelers visit this city precisely because of its incredible landmarks and architecture, especially the famous Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (Temple of the Holy Family).

It’s not surprising that this structure is so popular; it appears in many depictions of Barcelona, on posters, brochures, advertisements, airline tickets, or bus tickets—you can literally see it everywhere. I, too, planned a visit to the famous Sagrada Familia when flying to Barcelona, and unfortunately, this visit turned out to be quite a disappointment, but more on that later.

Penitential Temple of the Holy Family (Basilica Sagrada Familia) in Barcelona and its history

The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is described as an Art Nouveau church, created in accordance with the architectural direction developed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Art Nouveau was a kind of rebellion against mindless imitation of past epochs in architecture and a search for new styles.

The idea for the construction of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in its current form originated in the mind of the Catalan architect and engineer Antonio Gaudi, known for his unique and unconventional architectural ideas. The diocesan curia of Sant Marti de Provenals, a locality that is now part of Barcelona, commissioned Gaudi to work on the project.

Gaudi took over the project from another architect, Francisco Paula de Villar, whose vision of the future church did not differ much from other contemporary sacred projects. However, Gaudi decided to build his church completely differently while sticking to the general outline created by his predecessor. He retained the shape of the Latin cross as the basic form of the temple, but everything else was markedly different.

The most important part of any temple (according to the architect, of course) is its façades. In this case, the front of the Sagrada Familia was to consist of three main façades.

• Nativity Façade (Fachada del Nacimiento): the main façade of the temple and its most spectacular part, also the oldest part of the church, built from 1886 to 1930, following Gaudi’s guidelines precisely. Its main motif is the figures of animals, symbolizing the richness of the world created by God. In addition, there are figures and events from the Old Testament, such as the escape of the Jews from Egypt or the cunning serpent from paradise.
• Passion Façade (Fachada de la Pasion): a part of the temple built only in 1954, with sculptures and decorations from 1986 by Josep Maria Subirachs. It symbolizes the suffering of Christ, making it quite sombre. The entire style, decorations, sculptures, and atmosphere of this place are like one big Via Crucis.
• Glory Façade: the construction of this part of the basilica is still ongoing.

In addition to ornate façades, Gaudi’s plan included soaring towers, of which nine have been built so far, with another four under construction. The towers, ultimately to be eighteen, symbolize the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, with the last two dedicated to Jesus and his mother.

Unfortunately, the complex design and unconventional decorations significantly prolonged the construction of the temple, and despite Gaudi dedicating nearly forty years of his life to the project, the construction of the basilica has not been completed to this day.

Timeline of the Basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

The history of the Basilica of the Holy Family in Barcelona was turbulent and very challenging. This period coincided with difficult times for Spain, including two World Wars, the Civil War, and dark times under Franco’s rule, making the task even more challenging.

The timeline below will help you understand the amount of work and adversities that the builders of Gaudi’s legacy had to overcome:

• 1882: Construction work on the temple began. The founders’ association for the temple was established earlier, and they acquired land for the church over the following years. The first architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar, laid the cornerstone.
• 1883: Antoni Gaudi takes over the construction work from Francisco de Paula del Villar.
• 1890: The church crypt is already completed, and Gaudi presents preliminary plans for the future church.
• 1892: Construction of the Nativity Façade (Fachada del nacimiento) begins, concluding in 1930.
• 1917: Completed designs for the Passion Façade (Fachada de la Pasion) are made public.
• 1925: Completion of work on the first tower and bell tower, named the Tower of Saint Barnabas. It has a height of 100 meters.
• 1926: Gaudi dies in a tragic accident, and his remains are placed in the crypt beneath the still unfinished temple.
• 1936: The Spanish Civil War breaks out between a liberal coalition for democracy and conservative fascists. This is a grim period in Spanish history, with the country becoming a battleground for other European powers testing modern weapons. The ongoing conflict leads to numerous damages and destruction in the building, along with heinous desecrations of the temple. The office where Gaudi worked is also destroyed.
• 1945: Reconstruction of the completed parts of the building, especially the crypt where Gaudi’s remains rest.
• 1954: Work on the Passion Façade (Fachada de la Pasion) begins and lasts until 1977 when the bell towers are completed.
• 1990: Creation of the first decorations and sculptures on the Passion Façade.
• 2000: Closure of the vault of the transept and completion of work on the central nave of the temple. Work also begins on the foundations of the Glory Façade.
• 2002: Construction of the parish school, cloisters, the Monastery of Our Lady of Grace, the evangelists’ vault, and the choir of the Glory Façade.
• 2010: Pope Benedict XVI consecrates the new temple.
• 2016: Construction of the towers of Jesus, Mary, and the 4 Evangelists begins.
• 2020: The pandemic interrupts work for over a year.
• 2028: The year scheduled for the completion of the temple.

In addition to the above events, the builders of the Sagrada Familia had to contend with many other adversities. An example is the information that emerged in 2018, stating that the construction of the temple had been illegal for over 100 years, as there was no permit for it.

It turned out that the permit was issued in 1885 but came from the authorities of the city of Sant Marti de Provenals, which was not part of Barcelona at that time. The authorities of Barcelona never gave their consent to the construction. After a few months, the city authorities reached an agreement with the diocese and granted permission for construction after the diocese paid the city 41 million dollars as part of a settlement.

Visiting the Basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

The entrance to the Basilica of the Holy Family in Barcelona is not free, and prices can vary depending on the season and where you purchase them. We are buying tickets at this link, which is very convenient, and the prices are attractive. Once you have your ticket, you can begin your tour.

According to Gaudi’s intentions, the Basilica of the Holy Family in Barcelona was meant to resemble a living organism pulsating with vitality. This is particularly evident in the Nativity Facade, which is full of sculptures and decorations resembling living matter.

The same can be said for the interior of the temple, where fancifully shaped arches meet high above the ground, creating the impression of the interior of a gigantic skeleton (at least that’s the impression I got).

Looking at the rows of columns stretching the entire length of the temple, one might feel like wandering through a forest full of marble, towering trees. In some places, this feeling intensifies as the tall columns in the main nave disappear under the vault like branches of prehistoric trees.

However, the interior of the temple is most impressive, with a palette of colours that flood the basilica through numerous and incredibly colourful stained-glass windows. The abundance of light is a significant advantage of the building, making it appear joyful and full of life. The interior space is also remarkable. The basilica is enormous, with available data indicating it has four and a half square kilometres of space that can accommodate over 12 thousand worshippers.

The church crypt, where Gaudi’s remains rest, is an interesting place. It is also one of the few places in the church that was completed during his lifetime. The crypt houses a museum dedicated to Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia itself (formerly the architect’s studio was located in these rooms).

Gaudi’s house in Barcelona as part of a tour of the Basilica Sagrada Familia

The house where Antoni Gaudí lived from 1906 to 1925 is located in Park Güell in Barcelona. Since 1992, it has been part of a museum dedicated to the renowned architect. The management of the house is handled by the Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia Foundation. The building is considered exemplary and in line with Gaudí’s works. It was designed by Francesc d’Assis Berenguer, a close friend and right-hand man of Gaudí.

The foundation’s goal is to raise awareness about the life and work of the architect. Therefore, the house where Gaudí lived and worked has been restored and reconstructed to look exactly as it did during his time there. Original household items that were present during Gaudí’s lifetime have been located and repurchased.

While visiting Gaudí’s house, you can learn that he was not only a talented architect but also a designer of furniture, utility items, and recreational elements. His personal belongings and documents related to his life are also displayed in the museum.

Why the Basilica Sagrada Familia has not been completed yet

There are several reasons why the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona has not been completed yet. It’s crucial to remember that the idea and construction of the church itself are very complex. Additionally, there have been challenges looming over the entire project from the beginning.

The immense complexity of the project, the unexpected death of the architect, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War during which the original plans made by Gaud were destroyed, and, of course, limited finances. All contributed to the fact that the project has remained unfinished for so many years.

It’s important to note that the Sagrada Familia church does not receive funding from any state or church sources. Every euro dedicated to the construction comes from ticket sales and donations.

Basilica Sagrada Familia (Temple of Penance of the Holy Family) in Barcelona Information and curiosities

• The Art Nouveau period in architecture began in the late 19th century, with Poland being one of the earliest adopters.
• Examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Poland include the Old Theatre named after Helena Modrzejewska in Krakow or the beautiful tenements “Pod Żabami” in Bielsko-Biała.
• The Sagrada Familia Basilica served as inspiration for our artist Tomasz Bagiński in the creation of the film “Katedra” (“The Cathedral”), for which he received an Oscar. Few know that Bagiński’s film was an animation adaptation of Jacek Dukaj’s short story of the same title.
• The oldest part of the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, known as the Nativity Facade, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• The construction of the Sagrada Familia Basilica is not supported by church institutions or the government. From the outset, the construction has been funded by donations and private contributions. This tradition continues today and is one of the reasons why the construction has been ongoing for over 130 years.
• The completion of the Sagrada Familia is planned for the end of this decade.
• The basilica has a length of 60 meters and a width of 95 meters.
• To reach the top of the highest tower, you can use an elevator or climb stairs with a total of 400 steps.
• When designing the temple, Gaudí made sure it would not be taller than the highest natural elevation in the city, which is Mount Montjuïc. The artist believed that this divine work should dominate the city.
• In 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death will be commemorated. Initially, the completion of the construction was planned for this occasion, but it is now known that this will not be possible.
• After the completion of the Sagrada Familia, it will be the tallest church in the world.
• The height of the main tower is expected to be over 172 meters.
• Currently, the tallest church is the Ulm Minster in Germany (161 meters).
• Gaudí believed that popular architectural forms composed of triangles, squares, and rectangles were rare in nature. Therefore, he decided to experiment with curves and lack of symmetry.
• Every year, Sagrada Familia is visited by over 3 million tourists, making it the most visited monument in all of Spain.
• Another attraction in Barcelona is the museum of the FC Barcelona football club.

Polish version