It’s been a long time coming—almost a century—but the fantastic vision is finally set in stone. Even if you’ve seen La Sagrada Familia many times on visits to Barcelona, the final reveal is a revelation.
The fences are down, the cranes have vanished and glorious light is beaming through multi-hued windows. It’s finally apparent that the church that’s emerged is even more beautiful than we’d imagined it could be all these years. Here’s a preview:
Even a drive-by is impressive, but do plan to see it close-up–Photo by Wallace Immen
The long and winding road
Completing the ultra-detailed La Sagrada Familia seemed like an impossible goal after the death of its visionary architect Antoni Gaudi in 1926. Even though the church became a must-see attraction as Barcelona became a tourist and cruise capital, for decades it was still mainly a construction site of unfinished outer walls with a couple of intricately carved steeples.
But thanks to global financial support and an army of craftspeople, the church has taken shape in the twenty-first century and it was consecrated by Pope Francis in 2010. Until very recently, though, the best views of the church were still from the street. On days when the public was admitted inside, the soaring chapel was a jumble of half-finished walls and empty window sockets and floors littered with building materials and cement mixers.
Today, work on the interior is so nearly complete that visitors can finally see the magnificent result. Barcelona is hoping to declare the church finished by 2026, to mark a century since Gaudi’s death.
Anticipation
You can’t get inside the church without a ticket and the queue to buy one can seem endless in high tourist season. The best way to skip the line is to purchase advance tickets online. Prices range from 26 to 40 euros depending on whether you want to tour on your own or join a guided tour.
With advance tickets there’s a catch: you have to choose an arrival time and bring a confirmation with a QR code, that won’t work if you’re early or late for your appointment.
The direct Sagrada Familia ticket site may not have tickets available for your time and date in high seasons, as they are all allocated to a number of other online agencies, which sell the tickets with a markup. The reservation I made in advance of our Celebrity Cruise from Barcelona through booking agent Tiqets.com worked beautifully.
Every picture tells a story
The sculptures surrounding the three entrances to the church all tell stories of the life of Christ: the Nativity façade (which is the only one done during Gaudi’s lifetime) faces east, the Passion façade to the west, and the Glory façade at the south side. Meanwhile, the detail work on roofs and doorways features the abundance of God’s creation. Baskets of fruits symbolizing the abundance of the seasons line roofs. The bronze doors to the sanctuary that weigh over 4,000 pounds each are decorated with sculpted birds and butterflies.
The teachings are designed to be understood by everyone. A passage from the Lord’s Prayer is carved in stone in 50 different languages. If nothing else, the church could prove to be the Rosetta Stone for future archeologists.
Gaudí was an artist who wanted to be creative with the columns and decorations that are traditional in cathedrals. Inside the church, columns of red porphyry and basalt are carved to resemble a forest of tree trunks with branches that hold up the ceiling.
On every pillar and wall there are symbols. Four columns in the center of the church honor of the Evangelists. Their symbols—winged man for Matthew, winged lion for Mark, winged ox for Luke, and eagle for John—can be seen on the large lamps that illuminate the interior. The other columns are adorned with dedications to the 12 apostles and cities in Spain that have bishops or archbishops. There are angels aplenty, looking on approvingly.
Let the sun shine in
Abundant natural light adds a dramatic glow. The leaded glass windows vary in shade in symbolic ways. On the Portal of Nativity, there’s yellow, green, and blue glass to symbolize the birth of Christ, poverty, and light. The bolder yellow, orange, and red windows on the Facade of the Passion represent water, light, and resurrection. Particularly awe inspiring are the golden windows in the ceiling above the altar which gleam in an almost surreal radiance in the afternoon sun. When the sun isn’t shining, there are 300 skylights like stars in the ceilings, embossed with religious symbols and lit to create an ethereal illumination.
Windows and stars in the ceiling fill the nave with light–Photo by Wallace Immen
The pipes are calling
No Catholic church is complete without an organ. In this case, the organ wasn’t installed until 2010. And it’s enormous, with 1,492 pipes on two manuals and a pedalboard. If you’re fortunate, there will be someone at the keys during your visit.
No matter what your religious preference, this fantastically artistic church is an unforgettable experience.
Can somebody say Amen? Photo of La Sagrada Familia by Wallace Immen
Story by Wallace Immen, executive editor, The Cruisington Times
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