LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

Hotel Pulitzer/Room 507

Barcelona, Spain
Friday, November 4, 2022
Sunny, high 60s

Great night’s sleep, all ready to go. We hailed a taxi right outside the hotel and off we went to our guided tour of La Sagrada Familia. This Roman Catholic Church is so compelling and draws me in every time I see it.  I do love the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Sacre Coeur (Paris), and the Vatican is great too, but this is the church that truly speaks to me.

La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona, Spain

We met our English-speaking tour guide, Eva, who truly loves this church and its story too. Her tour was from the heart. 

Tour Guide Eva

We started on the east side, the most joyous side, according to Eva, where the sun rises, the day begins, thus the Tower of the Nativity and entrance depict the birth of Christ.  Antonio Gaudi, the visionary who imagined this church, was inspired by nature and the east towers reflect that. Flowers, trees, fruits, and other aspects of nature adorn this side. 

Mary and Joseph, Jesus as a young man, the order of Herod to kill young boys

Close up

Close up of Mary and Joseph

The west side of the church is the side of sorrow and death, the sun goes down, the Tower of the Passion. There is no color on this side, but there are depictions of bones and skeletons, as well as the scenes of Last Supper, Judas’ kiss, and the crucifixion.  Gaudi took inspiration from the roots of trees to form the arches, and otherwise there are no flowers or fruits here.

Judas' kiss

Christ carrying the Cross

From the right, a representation of Veronica and her veil

The Crucifixion

Christ taken down from the Cross

Each row, vertical or horizontal adds to 33, the age of Christ when he was crucified

The Main Tower and entrance have yet to be finished – target date is 2026, the 100^th year of Gaudi’s death. It will be 564 ft. high, twice the current size, and the tallest church in Spain. This will be the Tower of the Resurrection.

When completed, there will be 18 towers, representing Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the 12 Apostles, and the 4 Evangelists.  Basically, the exterior is the Bible in stone, so people could envision the stories.

Inside the church, Eva explained that all the columns make it look like a forest, like trees and their branches. This was a unique way to bear the weight.  On one side of the main church area, the stained glass windows are greens and blues, cool. On the other side, the stained glass is made up of reds, oranges, and yellows, representative of the seasons. So much light represents the light of God. 

The Altar and Crucifixion

Closeup of Crucifixion 

Column closeup: Mark, whose symbol is a lion (power) 

Column closeup: Luke, whose symbol is an ox, (strength)

Column closeup: John, whose symbol is an eagle, (wisdom)

Column closeup: Matthew, whose symbol is man, (Christian faith)

Stained glass windows -- warm

Columns like trees with branches

Window near the elevator

Workshop--completion goal: 2026

Gaudi wanted to use only natural materials, made by God—granite and marble, and more.

After the tour, we had tickets to visit the Tower of the Nativity (In 2012 we saw the Tower of the Passion).   The only way to go up is an elevator (thank goodness). We took some great photos but had to face the climb down. 

Pinnacle from Nativity Tower

Closeup

Barcelona with the Mediterranean in the background

From the Nativity Tower

Pinnacles seen from the Nativity Tower

We were 197 ft high--and that means walking 426 steps down the stairs, originally meant only for the bell ringers. Ten years ago when we toured the Passion Tower, this was easy, but I soon learned this adventure was going to be a challenge. The steps are uneven, the passage very narrow and dark. In 2012, TK took the elevator down (his knees), but this time walking was the only way to get back to earth. Despite being in great shape for a 65  year old, haha, this was not easy. Both of us felt like we had rubbery legs when we arrived on the ground floor, and now I am limping. I am very happy that TK is not limping.

Some steps looked like this

Other steps looked like this.

This is a church for the ages------------

TK's Take:  He said I did not tell him we would have to walk down from the tower (I did not know).  He said his legs were rubbery for an hour.   A lot of things have been added to the church since we were here last time (2012). More people too.