Sagrada familia brief description. Barcelona. Excursion to the Sagrada Familia temple

15.10.2019

The Sagrada Familia is a truly great cultural landmark not only spanish city Barcelona, but also the whole world. It is surprising that to this day the temple has not been included in the number of wonders of the world, because recognizable silhouette The “sandy” building causes no less delight than the Pyramid of Cheops. It is noteworthy that this work of art was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO, although the building itself is not yet finished.

The Sagrada Familia is one of the most visited attractions in Barcelona. Over three million tourists come here every year. And if someone still can’t see the temple with their own eyes, there are now a huge number of videos and pictures of the building in many media mass media. So you can hardly meet a person on earth who has never heard of the Church of the Holy Family. But, as they say, it’s better to see everything with your own eyes: against the backdrop of the city, the majestic Sagrada Familia really looks quite impressive!

Due to inaccurate translations of the name, as well as some illiteracy in terminology, many mistakenly call the Church of the Holy Family a cathedral, although in fact it is a church. The construction of the building is being carried out on territory that does not belong to the Church and is purely based on donations. Therefore, in Barcelona the diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. And the Sagrada Familia is a church, which, by the way, was consecrated relatively recently (November 7, 2010) by Pope Benedict XVI.

History of the construction of the Sagrada Familia

The very idea of building the Atonement Temple arose in 1874, as a large amount of money was unexpectedly donated. And already in 1881, a few kilometers from Barcelona, land was purchased for the construction of a temple. Yes, at that time the temple began to be built outside the city... now Barcelona has grown so much.

Under the leadership of the architect Francisco del Villar, on March 19, 1882, they began to lay the foundation of the church. In fact, this is the Day of the Birth of the Church of the Holy Family.

Despite the large number of excellent ideas of the architect and the availability of funds to bring the project to life, by the end of 1882 Villar refused to participate in the construction of the building. According to official sources, the reason for del Villar’s action was the lack of agreement between him and the customers.

But fortunately, the story of the construction of such a great structure did not end there. The architect Antonio Gaudi, full of strength and enthusiasm, got involved in the matter. He greatly changed the design of the temple under construction, thanks to which the temple should have turned out to be very openwork, in the Art Nouveau style. Outwardly, the project resembled a cobweb, and in terms of labor intensity of work it was generally several hundred times greater than a cobweb. The structure was to be strewn with many soaring towers, and all other decorations, both outside and inside, were to reflect some elements of the Gospel (the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ) or other church rites of the Catholic Church. According to the project, the Sagrada Familia should look like a sand castle. Yes, this is exactly the kind of castle that children love to build while sitting on the shore of a pond. According to Gaudi's idea, the central spire of the building in the form of a cross should be 170 meters high, not reaching a meter from the top of Montjuic (a mountain in Barcelona), so as not to surpass God's perfect creation.

The Sagrada Familia has three facades: the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory of Christ. Gaudi paid great attention to the decor of each tower. Painstakingly and without sparing his strength, he worked to bring to life all his ideas regarding of this project. Many did not understand why he was spending so much time, effort, and money on this, because the ends of the towers are not even visible from the ground. To which the architect replied: “If people don’t see it, the angels will see it.”

The architect understood that he alone would not be able to complete his grandiose plan in such a time. short term, How human life. Therefore, he had to choose which façade to build first (Passion or Nativity). In 1892, it was decided to build the Nativity façade first, as some of the brutal scenes of Christ's crucifixion could scare away residents. And the opinion of society was very important in in this case, since, let us remind you, the construction was carried out exclusively through donations.

Within two years (1909-1910), again according to the architect’s idea, a parochial school was built at the church. Since the school was originally built as a temporary building, there are no load-bearing walls, and internal partitions are easily removed. Thanks to this, you can easily change the layout of the building space. Unfortunately, an accurate image of the school has not survived to this day.

On November 30, 1925, the Nativity façade was completely completed and the architect was about to begin construction of the rest of the building. Over more than forty years of construction, the temple was decorated with texts from the Gospel and liturgies, church Catholic symbols and sculptures.

And everything would be fine if it were not for the ill-fated day of June 7, 1926, when an accident occurred with the talented architect Antonio Gaudi. At the age of 73, he was hit by a tram while Gaudí was on his way to church service. Due to the fact that he was very poorly dressed, the carriers did not bother to take him to the hospital, so there was no chance of recovery. On June 10, 1926, Gaudí died, just short of his 74th birthday. The architect was buried in the still unfinished building of the Church of the Holy Family.

Construction of the Sagrada Familia after the death of Antonio

The construction of the Sagrada Familia was continued by one of the most talented students of the master, Domenech Sugranes, who worked under the direction of Gaudi since 1902. By 1930, construction of the remaining two facades of the temple was completed. They are also very rich in sculptures, scriptures and paintings.

The Passion of Christ façade beautifully and believably depicts the story described in the Bible. In the center at the top we see a sculpture of the crucified Jesus Christ, just below the soldiers who crucified him. However, this facade no longer has this large quantity complex elements of sculpture, as on the façade of Gaudí's Nativity.

The third facade occupies the central plot of Christ's life - His resurrection. This fact forms the basis of all Christian doctrine. However, this façade has not yet been completed.

Due to a lack of financial donations, as well as looming civil and world wars, construction of the Sagrada Familia practically stopped until 1952. And even though the construction of the Sagrada Familia has been ongoing for several decades, Gaudí’s final plan is still far from being completed.

The construction of four more 120-meter towers dedicated to the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is yet to be completed. Each tower will have various sculptures. On the 170-meter tower of Jesus Christ there will be a cross, on the other four there will be bunches of grapes (as a symbol of Communion).

If construction goes strictly according to plan and no unforeseen circumstances occur, then by 2026 the greatest building, which began its existence under the sun in the last century, will finally be completed. Cash There is now enough for construction, since donations from parishioners have been supplemented by money from people of other faiths who are looking forward to the completion of the grandiose construction. Oddly enough, lately There has been a fairly significant influx of donations from Japan.

Interior decoration of the Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona is attractive and irresistible not only from the outside, but also from the inside. The interior decoration of the church is distinguished by a large number of colored stained glass windows and luxurious sculptures. Due to the abundance of windows, different in shape and size, as well as the irresistible stained glass stucco, the building is always filled with light, and sunny days Here the sun's rays shimmer playfully. There is not a single surface in the church that is not decorated with various frescoes, sculptures, paintings, and mosaics. All this is done in charming harmony and is consistent with the theme of the Gospel and Catholic rites.

History of the construction of the cathedral

The creation of the cathedral began in 1882 with the little-known architect Francisco de Villar. Initially, the building was planned to be built in the neo-Gothic style, in the spirit of that time and in classical ideas of what a Christian church should look like. In accordance with this, construction was started and a crypt was erected under the apse. However, by chance, Villar soon abandoned the project and it was headed by Antonio Gaudi, who was appointed chief architect in 1891.

From this moment on, Gaudí's life will be inextricably linked with the construction of the cathedral. He lived and breathed this work, he was fanatically devoted to it and often personally collected donations for its construction. By the way, the author literally lived in the cathedral itself, in a cell of an unfinished building.

Gaudi was simply bursting with ideas. As an abstract artist, overwhelmed by internal impulses and emotions, he poured out his ideas chaotically, often without diagrams or drawings, intuitively, endlessly, breaking something and rebuilding it anew. It is not surprising that the construction required his maximum personal presence and assistance, so in the end the cathedral became both a working workshop and a shelter for him. The master devoted 43 years of his life to his creation, while only a third of his plan was realized during his lifetime. Gaudi was a deeply pious man, and the Sagrada Familia was, according to his plan, to become modern reading New Testament. And indeed, it seems that every stone in the structure is not accidental, it is filled with information and tells about another biblical story. The plan of the building is made in the form of a Latin cross, and this is where the similarity of this futuristic structure with ordinary Catalan churches and temples ends.

First time in Barcelona: where to go, what to see - in our video review.

Interior and architecture of the cathedral

Gaudí planned to carry out three facades, the Nativity, the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection, each of which should be crowned with four pointed towers, up to 112 meters high, which would fold into total number 12, which would correspond to the 12 apostles. Another 4 towers, 120 meters each, should symbolize the Evangelists and surround the central, tallest tower (170 m), dedicated to Jesus, on which the cross should be located. The tower with a bell tower in honor of the Virgin Mary was supposed to be located above the apse. Gaudi decided that even the tallest tower of the temple should not exceed the highest high mountain in Spain, Montjuic.

As a devout Christian, he could not place his work higher than the creation of God.

Sagrada Familia

Each facade should carry its own meaning, conveyed by bas-reliefs that would convey the story of the life and deeds of Christ. So the first facade tells the story of the Nativity of Christ; this is the eastern part of the transept, the only part of the cathedral built almost entirely during the author’s lifetime. The complete completion of the facade was completed only at the end of the 50s of the twentieth century.

Speaking about the merits of architecture, the unusual shape and structure of the building as a whole, I would like to draw attention to the interior and exterior decoration of the temple. Even in the worst amateur photograph, it is obvious how carefully and lovingly Gaudi treated literally every square centimeter of his work. The decoration of the building and decor simply amazes the imagination with the number of details, the thoughtfulness of the plots, lines, transitions, combination various styles. This is modern, and gothic, and Christian traditions, a pinch of baroque, a bit of oriental architecture, and all this is not kitsch, it is a completely harmonious composition in which there is nothing superfluous. Vintage steps, innovative diagonal supports, columns in the form of branched trees, majolica-lined towers and decorated with zodiac symbols and gifts of nature, vines and clusters, shells, ears of wheat. In addition, the temple is filled with special poetry, which the maestro wanted to put into it. Gaudi planned to build a bell tower where the bells would swing from gusts of wind. He created a complex lighting system, where light had to penetrate through the openings in the towers and through the stained glass windows on different levels, which would create the sensation of flowing light.

At the same time, the master approached his work very responsibly and with a possible degree of professionalism. One confirmation of this is the following fact: when creating one of biblical stories“Massacre of the Infants”, the architect took casts of stillborn babies, and in order to take a cast of the animal, for a more naturalistic image, Gaudi put them to sleep for the time being using chloroform.

In 1954, many after Gaudí's death, his followers began building the façade of the Passion. Inside this part of the temple, a museum was subsequently opened, which presents the surviving sketches, drawings, developments of the author himself, as well as artistic and technical objects associated with the construction of the structure throughout the history of its existence. From 1977 until the beginning of the 21st century, work was carried out on the construction of four towers, the decoration of the facade with sculptures and the interior decoration of the building with stained glass windows. In 2000, the creation of the facade of Glory began and at the same time the construction of the tower of Christ and the Virgin Mary was planned. Work is ongoing and, according to preliminary estimates, the global completion of construction is planned for 2030. All last decade The temple is surrounded by yellow giraffe cranes that look funny and strange between the conical tops of the towers. Captured in photographs by millions of tourists, they are, to some extent, also immortalized and added to the history of an architectural masterpiece.

Contacts

Information for those who are inspired by the work of Antoni Gaudi and those wishing to explore the Sagrada Familia:

You can admire the structure at any time of the year. You can get to the temple by metro station Sagrada Familia, lines L2 (lilac line), L5 (blue) or by buses 19, 33, 34, 43, 44, 50 and 51 - Sagrada Familia stop. The temple is located at Mallorca, 401.

Opening hours from November to February - from 9:00 to 18:00, in March - from 9:00 to 19:00, from April to September - from 9:00 to 20:00, in October - from 9:00 to 19:00 19:00, December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 6 - from 9:00 to 14:00.

Price entrance ticket- 15-22-24-29 EUR (with guide or audio guide); the price depends on the chosen program.

For excursions to at the moment open: one tower of the Nativity Facade, to the top of which you can climb a narrow spiral staircase. However, if you are not an extreme person, then in this case there is an old vintage elevator. The entrance to one of the towers of the Facade of the Passion and the museum is also open. Be mentally prepared for huge queues and believe me, it's worth it!

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

“Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família” or “The Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family” is an amazing basilica in Barcelona (Spain). It is often called briefly - Sagrada Familia. Construction of the temple began in 1882, and already in 1883 the project was headed by the brilliant Antonio Gaudi.

According to Gaudí, the Sagrada Familia has elements of Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic and some surrealism. Externally, the basilica resembles a sand castle with smooth lines, without clear corners and with bell towers resembling a spindle shape.

The central spire of the church will have a height of 170 meters. This is no coincidence; the great Gaudi did not want to compete with the top of Montjuic in Barcelona, “so as not to surpass what was created by the Lord himself.”

The twisted shape of Gaudi's towers is explained by the fact that there are spiral staircases inside. Moreover, each tower is dedicated to its own apostle and is decorated with his statue. The statues are installed at the transition point from square section to round. Tubular bells will be placed at the top of each tower.

The architect wanted to give all the elements of the basilica and its decor a deep symbolic meaning based on the Bible. Liturgical texts and quotations from the Bible in several languages adorn the main gate of the Passion façade.

Three facade columns: Nativity, Glory and Passion of Christ are lined with colored ceramics and glass. Illuminated by the sun, they shimmer and play with all the colors of the rainbow. “If people don’t see it, angels will see it” - this is how the brilliant architect explained his idea. All inner part The temple is decorated with columns, frescoes, stucco moldings, mosaics, sculptures and paintings.

In design interior decoration There is some eclecticism in the basilica. In order to combine these decorative and structural elements, Gaudí subordinated everything to strict geometric laws. A huge number of bright stained glass windows, mosaics and statues line the columns that rise upward and support the vaults.

The chandelier for the Sagrada Familia exists so far only in the form of a project created by Gaudi himself. Surprisingly, what the famous architect simply had in his head can now be recreated only thanks to computer modeling and numerous calculations.

The construction is greatly facilitated by the fact that Gaudi left behind the designs of many of his ideas. Although it is worth noting that during a fire in 1936, some of the models and projects were destroyed by fire and only partially restored subsequently.

Of the three planned facades, only two have been built so far: “Nativity” - under the direction of Gaudi himself and “Passion of the Christ” - by the Catalan architect Oriol Boigas.

The facade of the “Passion of the Christ”, built in our time by a Catalan architect, is very different from the facade of Gaudi’s “Nativity”: there are no longer smooth lines, everything has chopped shapes and looks rigid. Lots of sharp corners.

A total of 12 towers will be built, which symbolize the 12 apostles. In the center there are 4 spiers, on the tops of which there are symbols of the evangelists: a bull (St. Luke), an angel (St. Matthew), an eagle (St. John) and a lion (St. Mark). Above is the spire of the Holy Virgin Mary. In the center it is planned to erect another, tallest spire - the spire of Jesus Christ.

When finished, the church will have the shape of a Latin cross, and the upper galleries will be supported by many carved columns.

According to the Spanish government, construction of the Sagrada Familia will be completed no earlier than 2026 - the 100th anniversary of the death of Antoni Gaudi. The architect is buried in the temple's crypt and appears to be overseeing its construction.

“My customer is in no hurry...” Antonio Gaudi

All about the history and architecture of the unique creation of Antonio Gaudi - the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. We recommend visiting it to everyone who is planning to visit Barcelona.

Catalans like to say that the creator of the tourist “facade”, that is, its most striking attractions, is Antoni Gaudi. In modern Barcelona you can see twelve works by the eccentric architect, each of which is unique. The most “familiar” of them are: the painted Park Guell, the House of La Mila and, the monastery of St. Teresa, the house of Calvet.

Our cathedral Sagrada Familia ( "Sagrada Familia" translated from Spanish " Holy Family» ) stands apart on this list. This is the pearl of the city’s architectural collection, the most large-scale project that has not yet been completed - it remains a towering unfinished project. But at the same time, it not only does not spoil the appearance of the city, but even gives it charm.

The line at the front doors of Sagrada Familia never ends. Many travelers, assessing the number of people who want to get inside, bypass it. Unless they take a selfie against the background of the facade and a couple of pictures from afar.

Therefore, in this article we will pay as much attention as possible to a tour of the cathedral, its interiors and the observation deck. To convince you that it’s even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside, and it’s still worth spending time on.

Sagrada Familia and history of creation

Construction of the structure began in 1882 and continues to this day. The first architect of the cathedral was Francisco del Villar, but a year later he was replaced by Gaudi, who, oddly enough, was never particularly religious. It still remains a mystery to historians why the construction was entrusted to him. Be that as it may, Antonio Gaudi took on the project with all zeal and immediately made changes to the original plan. For as many as 43 years, the Sagrada Familia cathedral became the meaning of his life, the architect devoted all his time to it - he even lived in it.

Unfortunately, he was not destined to see his dream come true. In 1926, Gaudí was hit by a tram and died in hospital a few days later, leaving the main creation of his life unfinished.

The construction of the Holy Family Cathedral was continued by his associates - they inherited numerous drawings and sketches from the architect. During civil war in the records were severely damaged in the fire, some of them were subsequently never restored. And yet the main idea of the great creator is preserved in the composition of the Sagrada Falimia.

Ideas and plans of Antonio Gaudi

The scale of Gaudi's project is amazing. According to his plan, the cathedral was to be built in the shape of a cross and consist of three facades: the Nativity, the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection. During the architect's lifetime, only the first of them was built. Each of the facades was supposed to symbolize the most important stages in the life of Jesus Christ:

Christmas- birth and life, the beginning of beginnings;
Passion of Christ- betrayal and crucifixion;
Resurrection- the most grandiose, the resurrection of the dead.

There are many other symbols in the architecture of the Sagrada Familia. So each facade should be crowned with four towers, and a total of twelve - like the twelve apostles.

In the central part, four chapels should also be built, symbolizing the evangelists: Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. In the very center there is space for the construction of the two tallest spiers: the Tower of Jesus Christ and the Bell Tower of the Virgin Mary.

Because of huge amount windows and niches, the surface of the building looks like thin openwork lace. It seems that it is simply impossible to embody such grace in stone. At the same time, the appearance of the cathedral is massive and majestic, and its “backstory” completes the impression made by the Sagrada Familia on everyone who saw it.

Tour of the halls of the Sagrada Familia

The interior decoration of the cathedral is no less fantastic than the external façade. Here natural motifs in Gaudi’s work are especially evident. The giant columns branching at the top and the vault decorated with unusual sculpting resemble the crowns of trees supporting the sky. Carved stained glass windows are similar to exotic flowers, and the spiral staircases resemble huge snails.

Acoustics, which the creator has been deliberately working on for several years, suggests the presence big choir. In addition, Gaudi provided space for thirty thousand worshipers in the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. These ideas have not yet been put into practice, but perhaps in a couple of decades, the temple will still be completed, and its beauty will finally take on its perfect form.

Tickets to Sagrada Familia - prices 2019

There are two ways to get on a tour of the cathedral: independently and with a guide. Both are good, but the first is more economical, and the second is more interesting - it will appeal to those who like structured information, With numbers, dates, descriptions of each element and even legends.

Information for those who intend to go to the cathedral on their own:

The price of a basic entrance ticket to the Sagrada Familia is 18 euros (15 euros when ordering on the website http://www.sagradafamilia.org). But then the cost begins to dance depending on the services included in the package:

price of a basic ticket + audio guide - 22 euros (on the website);
price of a basic ticket + visit to the house-museum where Gaudi once lived + audio guide - 24 euros (on the website);
the price of a basic ticket + local guide is 24 euros (on the website). In this case, you cannot do without a confident knowledge of English;
price of a basic ticket + climb to the towers + audio guide - 29 euros (on the website).

Prices are per adult. To estimate the cost of tickets to the Sagrada Familia at the offline ticket office, add 3-5 euros to the website prices.

Cathedral opening hours:

from April to September - from 9-00 to 20-00;
October - from 9-00 to 19-00;
from November to February - from 9-00 to 18-00;
December 25-26 and January 1-6 - from 9-00 to 14-00;
March - from 9-00 to 19-00.

The ticket office closes half an hour before the cathedral closes. On national holidays and important dates for the museum, admission is free for everyone. You can find out more information on the official website.

Sagrada Familia - how to get there

The easiest way to get to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral is by metro - fortunately in Barcelona it is convenient and inexpensive. The nearest station is called “Sagrada Família”, purple line L2 and blue line L5.

Between the cathedral and the park there is a bus stop. You can get there by BCTE sightseeing bus, departing from Plaza Catalunya every half hour.

Excursions in Barcelona and surrounding areas

The most interesting excursions- these are the routes from local residents. They are created by creative people who are ready to show you modern Barcelona, Gaudi’s Barcelona, gastronomic Barcelona and more. In total there are about 100 (!) walks on Tripster.

Let's sum it up

After visiting the Sagrada Familia, you are left with a feeling of an unsolved mystery. It’s as if the curtain has lifted, a little more and everything will become clear and obvious... but no. The most important thing remains beyond the bounds; it is difficult to fully understand Gaudi’s plan (read: see a harmonious picture). Moreover, no one would know what the cathedral would have turned out like had the architect lived to see its completion.

And whether this “completion” will ever take place will be seen closer to 2026. This is the date announced as the end of construction.

Work plan from 2015 to 2026. Project presentation - before and after.

Sagrada Familia on the map of Barcelona

Exact address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona.