Sagrada Familia - May 9, 2024

Barcelona Day 2 - May 9, 2024

We started the morning breakfasting at a cafeteria/coffee shop near our Metro stop. Spaniards stop mid-morning for a  second breakfast, often coffee and small sandwiches. So that's what we had.

Are we awake yet?

the case of savory sandwiches in the cafeteria

What to say about Sagrada Familia? Jaw dropping. Awe-inspiring. Stop dead in your tracks amazing. Thought provoking. A spiritual experience. When words fail, quietly absorbing the elements of this one-of-a-kind basilica replenishes the soul.

The Passion facade where recent additions are evidenced by the lighter color of the stonework.

The Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), designed by Antoni Gaudi, has been in the works for more than 140 years. It is supposedly nearing completion within the next year or two. I've been anxious to visit again to see what progress has been made since I last saw this basilica in 2011. I was awestruck then by this man's vision about Christ's life and message and while his art is a bit Dr. Seuss to me, there's no mistaking its power to teach and inspire.

Figures on the Passion Facade are carved in blocky, linear forms that are jarring to contemplate.

The last supper on the Passion facade

Begun in 1882, Sagrada Familia is a modern interpretation of Gothic architecture. Like medieval cathedrals, Sagrada Familia's internal and external decoration teaches us the life of Christ, His death, resurrection, and saving grace. By 2010 the project was only half finished, having finally enclosed the nave. Construction, supported entirely by private donations, is scheduled to be finished in 2026.

There's no view of this basilica without construction equipment.

Work was halted during the Spanish Civil War (1939) when anarchists broke into the basilica, set it afire, burned Gaudi's plans, and smashed some of Gaudi's models. Plans previously published and other sources allowed the work to continue, stopping again only for a few months during Covid.

the model room in  the cloister

Unlike historic cloisters, this cloister is being built around the outside of the basilica. It connects to the basilica at the facades. The finished part currently holds a small museum of liturgical items. 

The cloister (the triangles with the round holes) is only attached to the basilica at the facades.

Liturgical storage designed by Gaudi in the cloister museum. Even here, light and space surround you.

Among the items in the museum is this copy of a bell from the bell towers. Designed by Gaudi, of course, they are the most different design I've ever seen.

This is what the bells look like. Clark, you should put this one in your collection.

Sagrada Familia is still fenced off around the entire cathedral with enormously tall cranes hauling building material up to workers on the central tower, the Christ tower, the last and tallest of the 18 towers to be built. When finished, Sagrada Familia will be both the tallest and largest church in the world. 

Watching these cranes lift loads of stone is fascinating.

The Mary Tower (finished in 2021) and Christ towers are the tallest in the basilica. The 4 Evangelist towers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were finished in 2023, and surround the Christ Tower. 

The Mary tower is topped by a star that lights up at night

Behind each of the three facades are 4 towers to Christ's 12 disciples.

Each facade teaches different Biblical stories. The Nativity facade is the story of Jesus birth and early years. The Passion facade is the story of Christ's death. and the Glory facade (not yet begun) will be the story of how we reach God through death, ascension and final glory.

The Nativity facade

This ceramic cypress tree on the Nativity facade is covered in marble doves

This blank facade will become the Glory facade

The Nativity facade seems to melt over the portal.

The inside is equally awe inspiring. On first entering, you are bathed in the light of the stained glass windows. It seems to fill the church. 

Eyes are automatically drawn to look up into the towering forest-like vaulting that supports the basilica.

The altar is visible from all sides of the church.

With an additional ticket, one can climb one of the towers. Dale, Kim, and Dave got some different views on the way down.

You can see the Mediterranean in the background

Those ants down there are people on the street.

We're going back to the Gothic quarter tonight for dinner so we bid farewell to Sagrada Familia and rode the subway to the old part of town. We thought we would visit the Barcelona cathedral, but there is an admission charge of 14 Euros per person, so we skipped the visit and ambled through the Gothic quarter on our way to our restaurant.

Capella de Santa Lùcia

Pont del Bisbe

Some views showing how hard it is to have modern wiring in old stone buildings.

I'm thinking this wouldn't fly in the states, but I could be wrong

Or this?

Our restaurant tonight is Gourmet Sensi - not the restaurant we tried to eat at last night, we couldn't get reservations for it, but a sister restaurant a few blocks away.

Once again we ordered tapas and they were delicious. 

Home and bed. Tomorrow we travel back to Le Cazal