Hi everyone! Today I will tell you about my experience visiting la Sagrada Familia, and I have to say that it is one of the best-known monuments in Barcelona, but that’s something everybody should know. Moreover, it is the greatest display of architecture in the city created by Gaudí. Additionally, it is now one of the most amazing Churches in the world.
Its construction began on the 19th of March in 1882 and it hasn’t stopped growing since then. Antoni Gaudí took over the project from its original designer (and old teacher) one year later. Gaudí designed an innovative and wonderful temple comprised of 18 towers, although he only had time to create one of them before his death. At the moment only 8 of 18 towers are built. Furthermore, Gaudí decided to dedicate 8 of them to the Apostles, 4 to the Evangelists, one to Virgin Mary and the bigger one to Jesus.
Most importantly, Gaudi’s masterpiece can still be built thanks to the maps’ preservation and people’s kind donations to the project.
My experience visiting la Sagrada Familia(The Guided Tour with Tours for Today)
First of all let’s talk about the guided tour. The meeting point was at a nice cafe next to the Church, where we met with the guide. While on the tour, I was able to exchange ideas and opinions with people from different cultures such as people from India, Las Vegas, Portugal, South Africa and Australia.
Then we made our way to the church and we barely had to wait at the entrance. It took around 4 minutes to enter and go through the security control. After this, the staff gave us a speaker connected to headphones to listen clearly to the audio guide.
The nativity façade
Initially the tour started from the amazing nativity façade, which is the most ornamented of the two main façades. I was astonished by the beauty of all the details designed by Gaudí. It was absolutely amazing.
It was the first one to be completed, as a marketing strategy of Gaudi’s, because he wanted to show to the people a nice part of the main church, so he decided to show the nicest facade first. The facade is divided in three major portals separated by two columns. Gaudí understood that he would not live to see the church’s completion. Therefore, he made this façade first as an incentive to continue with the construction of the church after his death.
The interior
My first time in the church was absolutely incredible and breath-taking. The light that came through the colourful stained-glass windows illuminated the room in different shades of colours which helped created a cozy atmosphere.
There are two big windows, with two kind of colours, cold ones and warm ones. They are strategically located to reflect the sun during sunset and sunrise.
I was really surprised with the columns, which looked like were trees. Moreover, the pillars and arches made it look as though the interior of the church recreated a stone forest of trees.
The Suffering Façade
Leaving the interior of the cathedral we reached the Suffering Façade, which was designed by Gaudí during a serious illness in 1911. It is located on the opposite side of the Nativity. Above all, it is more marked and has harder lines than the other facades, with the intention of representing the pain and final sacrifice of Jesus’s life.
Below is a scene with three levels that show the history of the Suffering Way, from the last supper to the death of Jesus. Three Latin words appear on this facade: Veritas, Vida and Via, meaning Jesus is the Way. Additionally, the figures remind me of expressionism, one of Gaudí’s favorite art direction.
If you want to learn as much as I did, then get a guided tour on Tours for Today
HOW TO GET THERE
Mallorca Street, 401, 08013 Barcelona
Metro: L2 y L5 Sagrada Familia.
Bus: 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50, 51, B20 and B24.
SCHEDULE
- November to february: from 9am to 6pm
- April to September: from 9am to 8pm
- March to October: from 9am to 7pm
If you want to visit other places just have a look and enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!