In the last two posts, I promised that I would devote a separate one to our visits to La Sagrada Familia. Tim and I stopped there yesterday for a tour of the exterior only, and we returned today for another look at the outside, as well as a visit to the interior.
La Sagrada Familia is Antonio Gaudí’s architectural masterpiece and one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Today, more than 140 years after the laying of the cornerstone, the basilica is still under construction.
Gaudí’s intent was to build a church with facades that highlighted the three phases in the life of Jesus: Nativity, Passion, and Glory. Only the Nativity facade was completed during Gaudí’s lifetime. The Passion facade was completed much later, and the Glory facade is still under construction. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and pointed out the religious symbolism throughout the exterior, but I looked at the imagery from a secular and artistic perspective, not a religious one.
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| Nativity Facade |
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| Nativity Facade Details |
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| Passion Facade |
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| Passion Facade Details |
Although I had seen many photographs of La Sagrada Familia, they really did not prepare me for the real thing. The structure is massive, and I couldn’t decide where to look first. For a minimalist like me, the amount of detailing was almost overwhelming. Luckily, Dr. Lawton’s earlier lecture encouraged me to take my time, really study the details, and appreciate both the art and the architecture.
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| Fruit Details on La Sagrada Familia |
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| Animal Details on La Sagrada Familia |
As I entered the basilica today, I was instantly struck by the beautiful play of space, light, and color. The interior, with its tree-like columns, was enormous. As I walked farther inside, my eyes gravitated towards the ceiling high above. The details there were exquisite, and it seemed as though the light-filled shapes were constantly in motion.
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| The Interior Is Immense |
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| Don't Forget to Look Up |
Soon, however, it was the stained-glass windows that captured my attention. I was in awe of the light streaming in, and the way the various colors illuminated the space was mesmerizing. I was unaware of the symbolism in the choice of colors at the time, but to me, that didn’t matter. This feature turned out to be my favorite part of this extraordinary structure.
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| Stained-Glass Windows Provided Gorgeous Colors |
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| I Couldn't Get Over How the Light through the Windows Bathed the Space with Color |
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| Tim and Sarah |
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