The sacred Family It is the most famous monument in Barcelona, a Catholic basilica designed by Antonio Gaudí that began to be built in 1882 and is still not finished. It must be said that it is the most visited church in Europe after the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and that accessing it is not cheap.
In this article I am going to tell you about 10 curiosities that perhaps you did not know about the Sagrada Familia, a work of art to which Gaudí dedicated a large part of his time since 1915, when he had already turned more than 60 years old.
1- End date
It is expected to be completed in 2026, 100 years after Gaudí's death and 144 years after the foundation stone was laid. Good things wait, or so they say.
2- Whose idea was it?
Incredible as it may seem, the idea of building the Sagrada Familia was not from Gaudí. It was of Francesc de Paula Villar, who threw in the towel before beginning due to disagreements with the Barcelona City Council.
3- Gaudí gave clues about the future of its construction
Gaudí, who had no hair as a fool, was aware that he was going to die before finishing his masterpiece, so he decided to draw sketches and prepare blueprints with whom to guide the architects who would take charge of completing the construction of the Sagrada Familia after his death. What he didn't know is that things were going to be very slow.
4- We will never see the Holy Family that Gaudí imagined
Why won't we see her if she left everything ready? Because during the Civil war the anticlericals set fire to part of the Sagrada Familia, causing the information they had carefully prepared to pave the way for their substitutes to be burned. This has caused the work to be delayed so long, since its guidelines could not be followed. Among other things, we will be left with the desire to see each of its parts reflecting the decorative style of different generations, which was one of his greatest wishes.
5- What was built while Gaudí lived?
The facade of the Birth, which together with the crypt was included in 2005 by Unesco in the World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí". The other two facades are that of the Passion and that of the Glory of Jesus.
6- How is it financed?
The Sagrada Familia is still standing thanks to private donations and the money that tickets cost. Basic admission costs 15 euros if you buy online (18 euros at the box office). If you want a guided tour you have to pay 24 euros (29 euros at the box office).
7- I was in an open field
Today we see the Holy Family integrated in a neighborhood where by the way not everyone is happy with its presence. Neighbors are tired of walking around avoiding hundreds of tourists, something that did not happen when construction began, since it was in the middle of nowhere, in a clearing.
8- It will be the tallest building in Barcelona
The 172.5 meters of height that will measure when it is finished will make it the tallest building in the Catalan capital.
9- Frame / Sudoku
On the Passion façade it is surprising that there is a kind of painting / sudoku that is 4 meters wide by 4 meters high and always adds up 33, the age of Christ when he died.
10- Gaudí's remains are there
Gaudí died at the age of 74 when he was hit by a tram and was buried in the chapel of the Virgin of Carmen, in the crypt of the temple where he worked for more than 40 years.
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Sagrada Familia curiosities. Great for kids and esl (April 2024)
- Barcelona, Catalonia, Sagrada Familia
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