Facts about The Sagrada Familia's history, architecture, and construction

 A Short Background

The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's crown jewel, will be the biggest church in the world when it is finished. Although many people give Antoni Gaudi credit for the structure, the book publisher Josep Maria Bocabella was the one who had the original idea. Fascinatingly, Gaudi did not start out on the project as the lead designer. No, Francisco del Villar was initially supposed to be in charge of the project. Francisco, however, proved challenging and would not alter his designs, even though they were overly expensive. He resigned as a result. Gaudi assumed control at this period, when he was 31 years old.

The Sagrada would be Gaudi's best creation, despite the fact that he would work on numerous other projects throughout his lifetime. The Catalan architect moved into the construction site's debris and grew fervently religious as the building gradually swallowed him. Sadly, Gaudi lost his life in a tram accident in 1926 and passed away just a few streets from the Basilica that would later come to characterise his life.

Architects' Perspectives

From the outside, the Sagrada Familia seems to have an organic aspect. This illustrates Gaudi's conviction that the spirituality of the natural world is present, as do many other aspects of the Basilica's beautiful architecture. Each of the three facades, the Glory, the Nativity, and the Passion, which are oriented south, east, and west, serves as a visual expression of Christian beliefs. Gaudi was in charge of the Nativity Facade's construction, and Josep Maria Subirach was in charge of the majestic Passion Facade.

The Basilica's interior features a 45-meter-tall central nave that is supported by columns that are designed to imitate giant forest trees. The columns direct the viewer's gaze upward, where they branch out and bring attention to the ceiling vaults and the openings that subtly diffuse light through magnificent Venetian glass and tiles.

Only eight towers make up the Sagrada Familia at the moment. However, the basilica will have 18 towers when it is finished. These twelve towers will stand about 100 metres tall and depict the apostles. The evangelists will be represented by four, and the Virgin Mary will be represented by a fifth figure at the north end, standing over the apse. The central tower will be the last and without a doubt the most important. This 172-meter-tall tower will stand in for Jesus Christ.

Here are five fascinating facts to get you started.

1. You're a part of its creation.

Your support of the construction of the Sagrada Familia is greatly appreciated! Tickets sales and philanthropic donations are what keep this incredible project alive and on target for completion in 2026, despite costing roughly 25 million euros annually. Cross your fingers!

2. A metre short

When completed, the Sagrada Familia's central tower will soar to an incredible height of 172 metres. By doing so, it will surpass Ulm Cathedral, a 162 meter-tall religious structure in southern Germany, as the tallest religious structure in all of Europe. However, Antoni Gaudi firmly thought that nothing created by a human should eclipse the beauty of God's creation. Gaudi purposefully designed the Sagrada Familia to be exactly one metre lower than Montjuic peak, Barcelona's highest point.

3. Localized instruction

Gaudi constructed a modest school during the early stages of the Sagrada Familia's construction. This was done to provide space for the kids of the workers who were constructing the basilica. The building now serves to inform the hundreds of visitors that enter its doors by housing an exhibition about the Sagrada.

4. A place of last repose

The Sagrada Familia is the location of Antoni Gaudi's tomb, which may not come as a surprise to everyone. People are welcome to pay their respects to the grave, which is accessible from the chapel honouring the El Carmen Virgin on the basement level beneath the basilica.

5. A period of 150 years is lengthy

The Sagrada Familia has been under construction for a very, very, very long time, as is well known. Gaudi spent decades of his life building the Basilica, but he was aware that it would not be finished in his lifetime. In actuality, the Basilica was barely 25% complete when Gaudi passed away in 1926. The Sagrada will have taken just under 150 years to construct by the time it is finished, with a projected completion date of 2026. That is just 50 years less time than it took to create the Great Wall of China and longer than it took to construct the Egyptian pyramids.