Sagrada Família

This morning we had the first available appointment to see Sagrada Familia at 9:00. It’s the Antoni Gaudi designed cathedral that has been under construction since the late 1800’s. The completion is planned for 2026 with the exterior to be finished a couple years earlier. Only one of the bell towers was finished while Gaudi was alive, but he left drawings, models, and photos of the models that have been used to continue his dream of the design for Sagrada Familia.

In places the exterior of Sagrada Familia is covered with statues and carved details. The Nativity facade is full of life, including several different types of farm animals, and full of hope. The Passion facade is very stark and the gaunt figures almost seem to be in mortal pain. Gaudi wanted this entrance to be “scary.” Construction of the third facade, Glory, began in 2002.

The interior of Sagrada Familia is very tall and, with the exception of the various columns, very open. The stone is all white and bright which easily reflects the colored light coming in the stained glass windows.

There are essentially no flat surfaces inside Sagrada Familia. The columns arch into giant hyperboloids and branch at the top to distribute the weight.

Glorious Light of Sagrada Familia

Since we were there in the morning, the light was streaming in from the Nativity side bathing the interior in blues and greens.

The carved shapes inside the windows make them appear to glow.

The windows on the Passion side are mostly reds and yellows. They light up the interior in the late afternoon. Pro tip: if you visit Sagrada Familia, plan to do so either early or late in the day or you’ll miss the light show.

The colors of the stained glass were based on watercolors Gaudi had done in the design. The artist who is making the windows draws lines around sections of colors and then uses matching glass to build the panes.