La Sagrada Familia
Welcome to a Celebration of my love affair with Catalonia in Spain’s northeast corner. Catalonia (including Barcelona) is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe. I have traveled Spain across five decades. Let us begin with one of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe – Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia.
Antoni Gaudi began work on the church of The Sacred Family (La Sagrada Familia) in 1883, five years after graduating from architecture school. Initially, La Sagrada Familia was one of his many modernist projects in Barcelona. In 1910, Gaudi withdrew from almost all other work and concentrated on his vision for the church. At the time of Gaudi’s death in 1926 only one transept of the church and four of the church’s proposed 18 towers were complete.
When Diane and I first visited Sagrada Familia during our honeymoon trip (pictured at right) to Barcelona in 1971, there had been little progress since Gaudi’s death 45 years earlier. The church-to-be resembled an abandoned construction site. There were no tickets for admission. No security. The four towers of the elaborate Nativity Façade completed by Gaudi rose above the neighborhood but progress was slow. Immense blocks of stone were strewn around, some broken, some usable. We could touch images of trees and flowers and animals, waiting to be hoisted above. Birds flew through openings that wished for stained glass. Diane climbed inside a tower and leaned out from a balcony. My bride, with her red hair framed by stone, reminded me of a short-haired Rapunzel.
The death in 1975 of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco and the excitement of Barcelona’s 1992 Olympics (approved in 1986) unleashed a wave of civic energy and dramatic construction. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s most recognizable symbol, was energized as well and construction surged forward.
I visited Barcelona with my daughter in 2000. As we exited the Sagrada Família metro stop, I was amazed. The church looked like a church. Tour buses were discharging tourists. There were lines to get in and tickets to be bought. There was a gift shop. We walked through the uncompleted sanctuary. We rode the elevator to the top of a tower for a view of the city and then walked down the long circular staircase. With more than 100 years of construction behind it, the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família was finally rising toward its full height.
Diane and I returned to Sagrada Família in 2014. Construction was still underway, but the building was complete enough to have been consecrated as a church. Eight of the eventual eighteen towers had been completed. The interior was striking. Light from hundreds of stained-glass windows cascaded upon us. The columns and the ceiling were majestic with a garden of images, both botanical and zoological. We sat in humble adoration for many minutes. I believe even an atheist would be inspired by the vision of light and space, works of nature, and works of human artists.
Gallery of Sagrada Familia
The announced goal for completion of the temple structure is 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Photos in the above gallery courtesy of Nicoline Strom-Jensen.
For tickets and more information check the Sagrada Familia website: sagradafamilia.org (updated 10/30/2023; a version in English is offered by clicking here). Children under 11 years are admitted free as well as disabled person and one companion for that person. Discounts are available for seniors and students. In normal years, Sagrada Família has more than three million visitors and usually has long lines for entrance. Getting tickets in advance is highly recommended – especially in summer.
Travel Tips: Now is the time to dream, to research, to plan.
- If you try to purchase tickets for a major attraction such as Sagrada Familia and the site indicates “Sold-Out” for the day you want, shop for a half-day tour that includes that attraction. Operators often provide transportation and will sweep you in past long lines.
- While my daughter and I were boarding the metro to leave Sagrada Familia, a well-dressed young man slid his hand into my pants pocket. As I brushed him away, he jumped off the subway car. Pick-pocket avoided. Always be careful in crowds.
c. Joel Strangis 2023 All text and images are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. If no owner is indicated, I am the owner.
