The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is the last construction of Gaudí’s period, a unique place in Barcelona that will also become the tallest Basilica in the world when it is finished. A Gaudí masterpiece built over more than a century.

A symbol par excellence of Barcelona, the Expiatory Church of the Sagrada Familia, in the Eixample district, is the most famous work of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and the greatest exponent of modernist architecture. The original idea was not Gaudí’s, but that of the architect Francesc de Paula Villar, who laid the first stone. Francesc de Paula Villar abandoned the construction due to conflicts with the city council.

It contains elements of Art Nouveau, Catalan Modernisme and late Spanish Gothic design.

Work began in 1882 and continues to this day.

The Jesus Christ Tower of the Basilica of La Sagrada Família will be completed in 2026, a milestone that will coincide with the centenary of the death of the architect Antoni Gaudí.

Work on the Sagrada Família in Barcelona began in 1882, 140 years since the start of the project.

The construction of the church is entirely financed by private donations and the entrance fees of visitors to the church.

During the outbreak of the Civil War, there was a fire at La Sagrada Familia and Gaudí’s workshop went up in flames. All the drawings and models of La Sagrada Família were lost. From then on, construction continued without the original sketches. It is a pity, but we will never see La Sagrada Familia as Gaudí designed it.

La Sagrada Família is full of Christian symbolism.

On the Passion Façade there is a 4×4 metre square with rows and columns of numbers. All the sums of the rows and columns always have a result of 33, which is the age at which Jesus died, this is done on purpose.

The 18 towers are dedicated to important biblical characters and this is reflected in their dimensions: 12 of them represent the apostles, 4 the evangelists, one the Virgin Mary and the tallest of them all Jesus Christ, who will be topped by a cross that will reach 172 metres in height.

The exterior of the Sagrada Familia has 3 facades representing the phases of Jesus’ life: Nativity, Passion and Glory. According to the Christian faith, the Passion is also known as suffering. The Nativity façade has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I could spend hours describing this impressive monument, here is a link to a website where you can soak up its architecture and history: https://es.wikiarquitectura.com/edificio/sagrada-familia/

Here are some interesting facts you may not have known:

  • It has suffered many fires, one of which partially destroyed Gaudí’s original plans and plaster models.
  • It is being built using new computer-assisted technology.
  • It will be the tallest church in the world
  • It will have several organs that can be played by a single person.
  • Gaudí is buried there
  • The stone for its construction travels from different parts of the world.
  • This tower will have a great vertical disproportion, with a diameter of 18 metres and a height of 60 metres, which makes it necessary to study its construction with virtual reality glasses as there are no other references in the world.

Please tell me that if you are a native or have been to Barcelona as a tourist, you have visited this marvellous place.