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The Temple of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

By Jason Thompson

| November 25th 2011 | Views:

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The great Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi designed the amazing temple building of La Sagrada Familia in a clear Gothic- Modernistic style, ornamented with delicately carved stone. Construction began in 1883 and the process was slow but steady.

Gaudi’s accidental death and legacy

Gaudi was so absorbed in his work that he even lived in the Sagrada Familia, and was so poor that he roamed the streets almost in rags. In 1926 Gaudi was accidentally run over by a tram and the driver thought he had killed a bum. It took a long time for the authorities to discover his identity.

He left behind his plans, maps and models, which were followed by his successor Domenec Sugranyes to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, a fire in the workshop by the Anarchists during the Civil War burned many of the maps and plaster models. After that, different architects and artists have contributed to the temple’s construction. The Sagrada Familia is considered the biggest and most surrealistic Gothic temple in the world, will also be the tallest at its completion, scheduled for 2026, the centenary of Gaudi’s death.

The facades and towers of the temple

Comprising three different facades, the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory, this temple tells the story of Jesus from the beginning to the end, with beautiful sculptures of animals, plants and people. The 18 towers are supposed to represent the 12 apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus. This last one will be the central one, with a cross 170 meters tall.

The bronze statue of Columbus is 7m tall and was sculpted by the artist Rafael Atche. The right hand of the explorer is supposedly pointing west towards the New World, while he holds a scroll or map in the other hand. Interestingly enough, the statue was sited pointing East instead of West. The statue of Columbus stands set on top of a massive 40 m Corinthian-style column.

Gaudi worked all his life on the façade of the Nativity and expected the whole temple to follow the same religious style. Modern architects who took over the construction have deviated a bit from his original plans.

This construction was expected to last centuries, as each stone was carved by hand. But with the advent of computerized graphics and modern ways of cutting and carving stone, a lot of progress has been done in the last few years. Nevertheless, now the new façade has a different color and architectural style and does not match with the Nativity. Although the city is divided about this issue, the work of art continues and is now well financed, partly by the entrance fees of millions of tourists who visit it yearly. Once completed, it would be a modern wonder.

Jason Thompson - About Author:
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