Barcelona Day Two: The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia

Just across Montjuic from the stadium is the Museum of Art.  It used to be the palace and place of government in Barcelona.  The architecture was grand and the grounds were beautiful.  At the front doors you could see the expanse of Barcelona.  I could imagine royalty looking out upon their kingdom and thinking of its interests and how to govern.  From the bottom, the palace demanded your respect and attention. Oh, what would it have been like to live in that day and age?  I was disappointed all the fountains were off when we were there.  None of the fountains were running throughout the city the week we were there.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at La Taxidermista in the Placa Reial.  Once a natural science museum and taxidermy shop.  This was one of the best meals we had the whole time we were in Barcelona.  Eric had these lovely shrimp and I had the best tasting salmon! 

Eric says, "We're having a ball in Barcelona!"

Following lunch we were able to catch another walking tour with the Walking Bean Company.  We had enjoyed our tour through the old city and the knowledge we gained from the guide so much, we decided this would be a great way to see the artistic works of Antoni Gaudi.  I have had the opportunity to study his work in humanities classes and then to teach it several times in the elementary art discovery program.  He was never one of my favorite artists.  In fact, I hated his work.  I thought it was ugly and odd.  How differently I feel about Gaudi and his work now.

Palau Guell 

The first piece of Gaudi’s work we saw was the light post the country had commissioned him to build in the square.  The government never commissioned Gaudi again.  He was too difficult to work with and eccentric.  Yes, it is from Gaudi’s work that we get the adjective “gaudy” to describe something that is overly decorated, extravagant and ornate.  He also wasn't very good at sticking to a budget

Casa Batllo

We then circled the city and saw several of his great architectural works that were commissioned by the wealthy residents in Barcelona.  We got to hear about his working relationships and how Gaudi told a story and manifested his beliefs through his works.  What is particularly amazing is these buildings that look quite modern were actually built at the turn of the 19th century.

Casa Mila

The tour ended at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.  The pictures I have seen of this building do not do it justice.  I always thought it looked like a big mud dauber’s nest.  Up close you can see the details in the work.  What I thought were daubs of mud, were actually representations of constellations in the heavens that evolved around the star of Jesus’ birth.  There were also drifts of snow and icicles represented around some of the scenes.

The Star of Bethlehem surrounded by angels
and other constellations announcing Jesus Christ's Birth.

This building is awe inspiring, thought provoking and a truly sacred place.  The construction on the cathedral began in 1882 under the architect Francisco Villar, who resigned in 1883 and was replaced by Antoni Gaudi.  Under Gaudi’s care the cathedral designed to be a tribute to the Holy Family began to take shape.  The Sagrada Familia became his life’s work and he gave himself to it until the day he died.  In the Sagrada Familia you can see the relationship Gaudi had with God and his understanding of God’s plan.  You can also feel through the architecture and facades of this building the importance of the mission of Jesus Christ to our personal salvation. 

This cathedral, now a basilica, has three main sides.  Each side represents a different part of Christ’s life:  The Nativity, The Passion of Christ and The Glory of Christ. 

The Nativity Façade has three doorways: Charity, Hope and Faith.  The Charity doorway tells the story of the events leading up to the Savior’s birth.  The Hope doorway tells the stories of the gospels where hope was sustained through adversity through belief in Christ and Salvation.   The Faith doorway shows us pictorially passages from the gospels where faith was shown through obedience.  The Nativity facade was the only facade Gaudi was able to work on and complete before he died.  The rest of his vision is being carried out by other artists and architects following the plans Gaudi left behind.

Keri in front of the Sagrada Familia: Charity Doorway

The Passion of Christ façade tells Christ’s story from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion and is just being completed.  The sculpting on this side is not as realistic as Gaudi’s work on the Nativity side.  You can definitely tell it is a different artist. The shapes are much more square and sharp.  I didn't like it as much as Gaudi’s work, but the harsher lines lend themselves well to the telling of this part of the Savior’s life – the betrayals, the sacrifice that was made for each of us, and the pain and sorrow that accompanied all of it.

Sagrada Familia: Passion Facade

The depiction of Christ's trial on the Passion Facade of Sagrada Familia

The last façade is in its beginning phases.  The Glory facade will tell of Christ’s resurrection and triumphal return to reign.  The apostle towers are the towers currently being built.  They are the small towers. Mary, Joseph and Jesus towers are still to be built and are much larger than these.  You can see the scale of the building in the picture below.  The darker plaster is what has already been built.  The white plaster is what still needs to be done.  When completed, this building will dominate the skyline.

The model of the completed Sagrada Familia

The inside of the building is equally as grand and thought provoking as the outside.  Gaudi looked to nature for inspiration in all his designs.  He was the visionary who brought light and air into the cathedrals with his innovative columns.  These columns branched out like trees at the top to support the massive structure very unlike the heavy stone arches and buttresses used in other cathedrals.  Gaudi’s columns gave more space to the room allowing for beautiful stained glass windows and natural light to filter in.  You felt like you were under a canopy of trees on a bright sunny day – I was in a sacred grove.  The light and space in the room lifted my spirits and helped me feel the Lord’s love and desire to take my burdens from me. This was a stark contrast to the feelings of the other cathedrals we had toured.  The height of the ceiling and the beautifully tiled sunbursts with the light reflecting off of them was a tribute to God’s grandeur and beautiful creations.  I could feel God’s love in all that he had created for me as Gaudi had used them as inspiration for this sacred place.

Looking up through the trees to the heavens inside the Sagrada Familia

Gaudi’s final resting place is in the crypt of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.  As we descended the stairs to pay respects to this man, I felt I somehow knew him and understood him better after walking through this building.  I was so grateful he was able to share his testimony of Christ and God's love with me over a hundred years later through his art on this building.

Gaudi's model of the completed Basilica
Looking on the Glory Facade